Google Closes the Door on the Meltdown Vulnerability
Google is rolling out update version 66 for their Chrome OS. This update brings about several changes, the most notable of which is the fix to Meltdown. Although the majority of Chromebooks are actually safe from this massive security flaw, it is still a good idea to introduce a fix for everyone else.
As usual, there are exceptions. Some Chromebooks are simply too old. However, the update protects some newer models which are left vulnerable. Additionally, this update ensures that other Chrome OS devices such as Chrome Boxes are secure as well.
Another exception are Chromebooks on non-Intel chips such as ARM-based devices. These are vulnerable instead to Spectre, but are immune to Meltdown.
What Other Updates Does the Chrome OS version 66 Patch Introduce?
In addition to closing the security holes, version 66 can now block automatically playing media. The update also now allows for password exporting. Plus, the zoom magnification feature can now zoom all the way up to 20x.
Google has also expanded Android app compatibility. Now it includes screen sharing and native printing, making apps feel as closely natural to their performance on the Android OS.
For the full list of updates, check out Google’s Chrome OS blog post.
