Major Google warning as hundreds of millions of devices ‘cut off' – leaving your devices exposed to sinister crooks
GOOGLE has issued a major warning as hundreds of millions of devices "cut off", leaving them vulnerable to sinister crooks.
The tech giant has announced that users with outdated software will no longer be able to access Google Chrome.
1
Anyone using an Android device running below version 10.0 will lose access to the site starting this August.
Millions of users still rely on outdated software due to limited manufacturer updates, abandoned devices from carriers, and other factors.
Still, these devices can't keep up with today's technology.
It follows Google's move in 2023, when it ended support for devices running Android 7.0 Nougat, introduced in 2016.
The announcement comes as the tech giant prepares to launch Chrome 139, expected in the first 7 to 10 days of the month.
The biggest impact for users of outdated Android versions is missing out on vital security updates.
Users with Android versions below 10.0 should try to upgrade to continue using Google Chrome.
If an upgrade isn't possible, replacing the outdated device is the best option.
Otherwise, your device could be left exposed to cybercriminals while browsing the web.
Google said in a support document: "Chrome 138 is the last version of Chrome that will support Android 8.0 (Oreo) and Android 9.0 (Pie).
"You'll need to ensure your device is running Android 10.0 or later to continue receiving future Chrome releases.
"Older versions of Chrome will continue to work, but there will be no further updates released for users on these operating systems."
It comes after the tech giant issued an alert to anyone who uses the browser on their PC.
A concerning bug has been found on the popular app which could lead to hijacking of your device.
The bug has been given a "zero-day" mark which indicates that the vulnerability is being actively used by hackers in the wild.
Google has acted swiftly to address the issue and has now patched the browser to prevent it from any further attacks.
Google said: "Google is aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2025-4664 exists in the wild.
"The Stable channel has been updated to 136.0.7103.113/.114 for Windows, Mac and 136.0.7103.113 for Linux which will roll out over the coming days/weeks."
However, the fix will only work after it has been downloaded and installed on your browser.
Vsevolod Kokorin, a security researcher at Solidlab, was the first to discover this most recent Chrome issue and confirmed that it may result in an account takeover by cybercriminals.
It is now crucial to make sure you are using the most recent version of Chrome if you use it as your primary web browser.
To accomplish this, just select "About Chrome" after clicking on the Chrome in the toolbar.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
DOGE got access to millions of government records. It could benefit Musk's companies for decades
Elon Musk's DOGE had access to sensitive federal data that could significantly benefit his sprawling business empire even after he quits government, a new report claims. An investigation by The Washington Post found DOGE staffers had access to potentially advantageous records from at least seven government agencies or departments ranging from documents on rivals' trade secrets to investigation files on Musk's own companies. There was no evidence Musk has actually used any of this information to help his companies or viewed it himself. Nor is there evidence that DOGE staffers made any copies of the data they accessed. But at least one firm that competes with Musk's rocket company SpaceX, told the Post its executives had held meetings to discuss what to do about DOGE's access to federal contracting data that could make the company "vulnerable". "Getting your hands on a nonpublic spreadsheet that details every aspect of the agency's contracts creates a tremendous advantage... [which] will endure for many years," said former Pentagon contracting officer Christoph Mlinarchik. In addition to being CEO and controlling shareholder of SpaceX, Musk — currently Earth's richest person — runs the electric car maker Tesla, the brain interface company Neuralink, and the social network X (formerly Twitter), which Musk wants to turn into an "everything app" incorporating banking and financial services. In a statement to The Independent, a White House spokesperson said: 'I would defer you to their own reporting contradicting themselves: 'The Post found no evidence that DOGE has viewed or misused government information to benefit Musk's business empire.' The spokesperson also said the administration will 'follow all the appropriate ethics and [data] laws'. Musk, SpaceX, Tesla, and X's parent company xAI, have been asked for comment. Within days of Donald Trump's second inauguration, DOGE began a campaign to insert hand-picked staffers across the federal government, arguing they needed extensive access to government data to identify waste and fraud. Since then, numerous lawsuits have offered windows into just how much information these employees — many of whom previously worked for Musk's companies — could see. The Post also interviewed people inside government agencies targeted by DOGE. At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), DOGE allegedly had unprecedented "god tier" access to agency records including trade secrets belonging to other payments companies — which officials had reportedly promised would be protected. The Trump administration has asserted in court that these DOGE staffers signed written agreements to follow all federal security, confidentiality, and ethics laws. At NASA, which contracts extensively with SpaceX, Musk's minions allegedly had access to non-public data about contracts, bids, and negotiations involving other companies. "Basically you're looking at the agency's internal thought processes," said Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for government procurement law at George Washington University Law School. Musk's team allegedly gained complete access to computer systems at the Department of Labor, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has repeatedly penalized SpaceX and Tesla and which may hold records of anonymous whistleblowers within Musk's companies. The Department of Education, the Social Security Administration, the Treasury Department, and the General Services Administration also gave DOGE access to potentially advantageous information, according to the Post. This is not the first report raising questions about the extent of DOGE's access. In April, an investigation by NPR found evidence that DOGE engineers at the National Labor Relations Board exported large amounts of sensitive data outside the agency while trying to remove all records of their actions. The NLRB said it had investigated and found "no breach of agency systems". Such reports have alarmed not only Democrats but also conservatives such as Steve Bannon, one of Trump's top advisers during his first presidential campaign and first term. "I think we have to have a letter of certification that not one dataset or piece of data of the United States government or citizens of this country are held by anybody, or any copies held, except for the Trump administration and the U.S. government," Bannon said in April.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
OpenAI says it has no plan to use Google's in-house chip
June 30 - OpenAI said it has no active plans to use Google's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab in-house chip to power its products, two days after Reuters and other news outlets reported on the AI lab's move to turn to its competitor's artificial intelligence chips to meet growing demand. A spokesperson for OpenAI said on Sunday that while the AI lab is in early testing with some of Google's tensor processing units (TPUs), it has no plans to deploy them at scale right now. Google declined to comment. While it is common for AI labs to test out different chips, using new hardware at scale could take much longer and would require different architecture and software support. OpenAI is actively using Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs), and AMD's (AMD.O), opens new tab AI chips to power its growing demand. OpenAI is also developing its chip, an effort that is on track to meet the "tape-out" milestone this year, where the chip's design is finalized and sent for manufacturing. OpenAI has signed up for Google Cloud service to meet its growing needs for computing capacity, Reuters had exclusively reported earlier this month, marking a surprising collaboration between two prominent competitors in the AI sector. Most of the computing power used by OpenAI would be from GPU servers powered by the so-called neocloud company CoreWeave (CRWV.O), opens new tab. Google has been expanding the external availability of its in-house AI chips, or TPUs, which were historically reserved for internal use. That helped Google win customers, including Big Tech player Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, as well as startups like Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence, two ChatGPT-maker competitors launched by former OpenAI leaders.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Wolfspeed files for bankruptcy protection to cut worsening debt, shares jump
June 30 (Reuters) - Wolfspeed (WOLF.N), opens new tab said on Monday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as the chipmaker grapples with huge debt amid slowing demand from electric vehicle and industrial markets. Shares of the company — which makes chips using silicon carbide, a more energy-efficient material than traditional silicon — rose 64.5% in extended trading. Wolfspeed raised going-concern doubts in May, as deepening economic uncertainty stemming from changing U.S. trade policies, combined with weakening demand, triggered a series of financial challenges. The company said it had $1.3 billion in cash as of the third quarter and expects to emerge from the Chapter 11 by the end of the quarter. "Wolfspeed is continuing to operate as usual throughout the process, including delivering silicon carbide materials and devices to its customers and paying its vendors in the ordinary course," it said in a statement. Upon emergence from the bankruptcy, Wolfspeed expects to have reduced its overall debt by about 70%, or nearly $4.6 billion, as well as a reduction of its annual total cash interest payments by approximately 60%. Earlier this month, Wolfspeed said it had reached a restructuring agreement with creditors and Renesas Electronics' (6723.T), opens new tab U.S. subsidiary, which would result in $275 million in fresh financing backed by some existing creditors and help reduce debt.
