Google has rolled out a major security update for its Chrome browser, and it is highly recommended that you update your computer right away. Google released Chrome 156 for Windows, macOS, and Linux on October 20, 2026, fixing 353 security flaws, including six critical bugs across graphics, accessibility, rendering, and communication features.Google mentioned that this update will reach all users over the coming days and weeks.
The safe and patched versions you need to look for are 156.0.8078.47 for Linux users, and 156.0.8078.47 or 156.0.8078.48 for Windows and Mac users.What are the critical flaws?Out of the 353 bugs, six have been marked as critical, which is the highest threat level. Five of these critical issues are related to memory corruption in different parts of the browser, such as the Skia graphics engine, CSS styling, Paint component, WebRTC, and Accessibility features.The sixth critical bug is a use-after-free flaw in the Accessibility section.
These types of bugs happen when the software mishandles its memory, potentially allowing bad actors to run harmful code or crash your browser. However, there is some good news.
The company's security advisory does not state that any of these six critical bugs are being actively used by hackers in real-world attacks right now. Access to the exact bug details is also being kept a secret until most people have updated their browsers.AI helps in finding bugsA very interesting part of this massive update is how some of the security flaws were discovered.
While Google's own team reported issues like the Skia graphics bug, artificial intelligence also played a big role. Security researchers used AI tools to find some of the most dangerous problems.
For instance, a researcher at Anthropic used their Claude AI to help find the critical use-after-free bug in Accessibility.Similarly, OpenAI Codex Security, known as kylebot, found the critical WebRTC vulnerability. While AI tools are now working alongside human researchers to secure browsers, it is important to note that these discoveries were not completely automated by AI alone.How to update your Google ChromeUpdating your browser is a very simple process that takes only a few minutes.
First, open Google Chrome on your computer. Next, click on the three-dot menu located in the top-right corner of your screen.From there, choose the Help option and click on About Google Chrome.
This will open a new page where Chrome will automatically check for any available updates and download the latest version.Once the download is finished, a Relaunch button will appear. You must click this button to restart the browser, as downloading the patch alone does not complete the installation.
For people using office computers, administrators can use Chrome Enterprise tools to make sure the browser restarts after the update is downloaded.- Ends