Chrome 143 Security Update Released: Update Immediately or Risk Remote Code Execution
Hoplon InfoSec
03 Dec, 2025
Is it safe to use Google Chrome 143? What does the new update fix?
Yes. On December 2, 2025, Google officially released Chrome 143 as a stable update. The update is version 143.0.7499.40/41 for Windows, Mac (and Linux). It fixes several serious security holes, some of which could let anyone run any code.
What is Chrome 143's security update, and what does it fix?
What's new: security and bug fixes are the main things.
When Google released Chrome 143, they added more than just UI changes and useful features. The most important thing about this update is that it fixes security holes that could let anyone run code, which is one of the most dangerous types of browser flaws.
One important fix fixes a memory-safety problem in the code that handles UI and CSS transformations (through the libxslt library). In earlier versions, this code was not maintained for months and was very likely to cause buffer overflows. If a bad website took advantage of these overflows, it could let code run on a remote machine.
What were the weaknesses, and how bad were they?
The update fixes 13 security holes in all. CVE-2025-13630 is a "type confusion" bug in Chrome's JavaScript engine (V8) that is one of the most serious. This kind of bug, where the engine thinks one data type is another, can let hackers use memory in ways that aren't always clear, which lets them run any code they want.
CVE-2025-13631 is a problem with the update mechanism itself (the "Google Updater" service), and CVE-2025-13633 is a "use-after-free" memory corruption bug in the Digital Credentials component. This release also fixes several medium- and low-severity problems with other parts, such as the download manager and UI components.
The threat was real, especially for people using older versions of Chrome, because these vulnerabilities could be triggered just by going to a bad website ("drive-by compromise").
How to update right now for Windows, Mac, and Linux
If you have turned off or delayed auto-update, here's how to manually update to Chrome 143:
• Click the menu (three dots) in Chrome and then go to Help → Things to Know About Google Chrome
• Chrome should automatically look for updates. If 143 is available, it will ask you to download and install it. • After the update, click "Relaunch" to restart the browser and finish the installation.
You can download the stable build (143.0.7499.40) from the official download page when it becomes available. This is for Linux or manual installers. If you are in charge of Chrome in a business, use your internal software deployment tools or the enterprise configuration policies.
What else is new besides security? Features and rollout to businesses
Chrome 143 brings some changes to usability and enterprise management, even though security is the main focus.
• Some parts of the UI and CSS processing were changed, which changed how they looked and made them more stable.
• Chrome 143 brings changes to extension management, storage partitioning, and more detailed privacy and security defaults for businesses that use enterprise policies. These changes are all part of the "Gemini policy."
• The update is for all platforms that are supported, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and ChromeOS. This means that users on all devices will be able to use it.
Why this matters: risks before fixing
Users, especially those with older versions, were at serious risk before Chrome 143:
• Attackers could use a bad website to run any code they want, which could take over the browser or even the whole system. All you have to do to get this kind of "drive-by infection" is go to a page that is compromised or has malware on it.
• Weaknesses in the update system could let hackers change the browser itself, making malware that lasts or giving them special access.
• For businesses, unpatched browsers meant that everyone in the company was at risk, which made it more likely that data would leak or systems would be compromised.
Because so many people use Chrome, these problems have had big effects in the real world.
Important insights
Advantages
• The Chrome 143 security update fixes 13 security holes, some of which are very serious and let anyone run any code.
• It lowers the chance of drive-by malware infections, which is a common way for hackers to get into systems.
• The update also makes things more stable, faster, and better at following company policies under the "Gemini policy" framework.
Disadvantages, limitations, and things we don't know
• Google and many security researchers hold off on sharing detailed technical information until most users have updated. This means that not all bug details (or proof-of-concept code) are available to the public yet. Because of this uncertainty, it's hard to tell how easy or hard it was to exploit.
• People or businesses that don't update right away are still at a lot of risk, especially if they visit websites they don't trust. The update fixes a lot of known bugs, but there could always be more that haven't been found yet, especially since memory-safety bugs are still common in complex software.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chrome 143, and what does it do?
As of December 2, 2025, Chrome 143 is the most recent stable version of Google Chrome. It fixes 13 security holes, some of which are very serious and could let attackers run any code they want just by getting you to visit a bad website.
Does Chrome 143 fix a zero-day security hole?
Indirectly, yes. Chrome 143 fixes more serious security holes, some of which are in memory-safety codebases, even though many zero-day bugs were already fixed in earlier versions (like version 142). This makes the attack surface smaller.
How do I now update Chrome to version 143 by hand?
To find out more about Google Chrome, open Chrome, click the menu, and then click Help. It will automatically download if Chrome 143 is available. After that, click "Relaunch" to finish the update.
Are the Linux, macOS, and Android versions affected and up to date?
Yes. The stable release notes say that Chrome 143 makes changes to all supported platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and ChromeOS.
After updating, do I need to restart the computer?
You need to restart Chrome after the update, which reloads the browser. You don't need to restart your whole system; just make sure Chrome starts up correctly.
What you need to do right now
If you use Chrome at home or at work, you should update to Chrome 143 as soon as you can. This update makes it much less likely that your computer will be hacked, have arbitrary code run, or get malware that won't go away.
Even if Chrome seems to update itself, go to Help > About Google Chrome and make sure you have version 143. If you manage devices at work, make sure the update goes out quickly and to a lot of people.
You can also read these important cybersecurity news articles on our website.
· Apple Update,
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Author: Hoplon InfoSec
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