TimesNow.com.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade’s experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology and the Stock Market.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has alerted Nigerians to a significant security flaw found in the Google Chrome browser.
In a post shared on X, NITDA explained that Google uncovered the vulnerability, labelled ‘CVE-2024-79’, and cybercriminals are actively exploiting it to target users online.
NITDA’s emergency readiness and response team (CERRT) warned that the vulnerability could have serious consequences, potentially allowing attackers to gain control of compromised systems.
The agency said:
NITDA further explained that the vulnerability allows attackers to gain full control of compromised systems by exploiting memory corruption due to incorrect data type interpretation.
This could enable attackers to bypass security defences, run harmful code, and even cause systems to crash.
The threat is especially serious as it can be activated by merely visiting a malicious website.
NITDA urged Google Chrome users to regularly check for updates to safeguard against potential attacks.
The agency added:
NITDA advised users to update their browsers by going to the Chrome menu, selecting “Help,” and then choosing “About Google Chrome” to install any available updates.
The agency emphasized that keeping the browser up-to-date is essential for safeguarding personal and organizational systems from potential exploits and ensuring continued security.
Meanwhile, TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that the NCC warned WhatsApp users that the platform has become the primary target of hackers and scammers looking to gain unauthorized access to users’ accounts.
The Commission disclosed this in an advisory to Nigerian users, asking them to be security conscious while on the platform.
It recommended that users activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to become hackproof.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
