Everyone using Google Chrome must restart their browser now - don't ignore new alert

Anyone using Chrome must head to their settings and give their web browser a very quick reboot with delay. Google has just confirmed the release of a very important update, and it's not something to be ignored. The reason why this upgrade is so vital is that it fixes a worrying security issue found within Google's web surfing software.

That might not sound like a reason to go into panic mode, but what makes things especially scary is that the glitch has been given the dreaded "zero-day" rating.

For those not in the know, that label means hackers are already aware of it and are actively exploiting the bug.

"Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2025-6554 exists in the wild," the company confirmed in an update on its security pages.

The gremlin was first spotted by Clément Lecigne of Google's Threat Analysis Group late last month, with it leaving Chrome open to attack from things such as arbitrary code execution. This is a serious security vulnerability that can lead to data breaches, system compromise, and other harmful outcomes

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So, how do you know if you are running the correct version of Chrome and if your browser is protected?

If you head to the Google Chrome menu in your browser and select "About Chrome", you'll see which version is installed. To be protected against this latest issue, you need to be running 138.0.7204.96/.97 for Windows, 138.0.7204.92/.93 for Mac and 138.0.7204.92 for Linux.

If you have an older version on your PC, then you need to restart things without delay.

Once a full reboot has taken place, you shouldn't have any further issues.

If you don't see that latest version, it's worth checking again soon with Google saying it will arrive on all browsers within the coming days/weeks.