On June 24, 2025, Google released a significant security update for its Chrome browser, version 138.0.7204.49, addressing 11 vulnerabilities that could potentially allow malicious code execution on user systems. This update underscores Google’s commitment to enhancing browser security and protecting users from evolving cyber threats.
Key Vulnerabilities Addressed:
1. CVE-2025-6555: Use-After-Free in Animation Component
This medium-severity vulnerability involves a use-after-free issue within Chrome’s Animation component, which manages CSS animations and JavaScript-driven visual effects. Discovered by security researcher Lyra Rebane on March 30, 2025, this flaw could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting freed memory pointers. Google awarded a $4,000 bounty for this discovery.
2. CVE-2025-6556: Insufficient Policy Enforcement in Loader Component
Identified by researcher Shaheen Fazim, this low-severity vulnerability pertains to inadequate policy enforcement in Chrome’s Loader component, responsible for loading web resources. The flaw could allow malicious actors to bypass security policies, leading to potential cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. A $1,000 bounty was awarded for this finding.
3. CVE-2025-6557: Insufficient Data Validation in DevTools
Discovered by Ameen Basha M K, this low-severity vulnerability affects Chrome’s Developer Tools (DevTools). The issue arises from insufficient data validation, which could be exploited to access sensitive information or execute unauthorized actions within the development environment. This discovery also earned a $1,000 bounty.
Additional Vulnerabilities:
The update also addresses eight other vulnerabilities, including issues related to memory management, improper input validation, and security policy enforcement. While specific details of these vulnerabilities have not been disclosed to prevent exploitation, users are advised to update their browsers promptly to mitigate potential risks.
Google’s Security Measures:
To identify and address such vulnerabilities, Google employs advanced detection tools, including AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer, Control Flow Integrity, libFuzzer, and AFL. These tools help detect memory corruption issues, undefined behavior, and other security-relevant bugs during development, ensuring a more secure browsing experience for users.
Update Deployment:
The update is rolling out gradually across Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. Users can manually check for updates by navigating to About Chrome or typing `chrome://settings/help` in the address bar. If version 138.0.7204.49 is available, clicking Update and restarting the browser will apply the update. Enabling automatic updates is strongly recommended to ensure timely protection against newly patched vulnerabilities.
