Should you update to Chrome 156.0.8078.73?
No: install Chrome 157.0.8103.38 instead. Chrome 156.0.8078.73 is a security update Google released on 27 Oct 2026 for Mac, Windows and Linux. It fixes 52 security flaws, 4 rated critical and 46 high by Google.[1] None of them is known to be used in attacks.
It has since been replaced by Chrome 156.0.8078.79, released 29 Oct 2026, which includes all of its fixes. If you’re on an older version, install that instead.
Should you update?
No: install Chrome 157.0.8103.38 instead. Chrome 157.0.8103.38 came out on 3 Nov 2026 and includes every fix in Chrome 156.0.8078.73, so there’s no reason to stop at this one. Software Update offers the newest version your device can run.
Is Chrome 156.0.8078.73 still safe?
Not any more. The 2 updates since, up to Chrome 157.0.8103.38, fix 234 security flaws that Chrome 156.0.8078.73 doesn’t, and each became public the day its fix shipped. Installing it is safe: get it only from Chrome’s own About page (chrome://settings/help), never from a link in an email, text or pop-up.
What it fixes
Google lists 52 security flaws, 4 rated critical and 46 high by Google.[1] The 50 critical and high ones are:
| Flaw | Severity | What Google calls it |
|---|---|---|
CVE-2026-118306 | Critical | Use after free in FileSystem |
CVE-2026-118331 | Critical | Use after free in FileAPI |
CVE-2026-118348 | Critical | Integer overflow in Skia |
CVE-2026-118344 | Critical | Use after free in Layout |
CVE-2026-118357 | High | Use after free in FileSystem |
CVE-2026-118318 | High | Buffer overflow in V8 |
CVE-2026-118350 | High | Type confusion in Turbolev |
CVE-2026-118339 | High | Use after free in Animation |
CVE-2026-118305 | High | Type confusion in Turbolev |
CVE-2026-118317 | High | Use after free in HTML |
CVE-2026-118320 | High | Race condition in V8 |
CVE-2026-118322 | High | Uninitialized resource in ANGLE |
CVE-2026-118329 | High | Uninitialized resource in ANGLE |
CVE-2026-118354 | High | Uninitialized resource in Skia |
CVE-2026-118340 | High | Integer overflow in Skia |
CVE-2026-118321 | High | Use after free in Core |
CVE-2026-118337 | High | Use after free in Forms |
CVE-2026-118352 | High | Use after free in Cache |
CVE-2026-118355 | High | Use after free in Command |
CVE-2026-118307 | High | Use after free in Paint |
CVE-2026-118351 | High | Use after free in Skia |
CVE-2026-118328 | High | Out of bounds read in WebRTC |
CVE-2026-118333 | High | Buffer overflow in Video |
CVE-2026-118336 | High | Race condition in Headless |
CVE-2026-118358 | High | Use after free in WebAudio |
CVE-2026-118353 | High | Missing authorization in Paint |
CVE-2026-118349 | High | Use after free in Payments |
CVE-2026-118327 | High | Incorrect authorization in Media |
CVE-2026-118359 | High | Use after free in V8 |
CVE-2026-118343 | High | Use after free in ReadingList |
| and 20 more | ||
How to update, and how long it takes
A minute or two. Chrome downloads it in the background, and relaunching reopens your tabs.
- Open Chrome’s About page.Type chrome://settings/help in the address bar, or open the ⋮ menu → Help → About Google Chrome. Chrome checks and downloads the update.
- Click Relaunch.Chrome reopens your tabs. Until you relaunch, the old, unfixed version keeps running.
- Do the same in every Chromium browser.Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi are built on the same code and get the same fixes a few days later.
To check it worked: chrome://settings/help shows the version, and says “Chrome is up to date” when it is. It should say 156.0.8078.79 or later.
156.0.8078.47 vs 156.0.8078.73
Chrome 156.0.8078.47, released 20 Oct 2026, fixed 353 security flaws. Chrome 156.0.8078.73 fixes 52 security flaws and includes the fixes before it, so going straight to 156.0.8078.73 gets you both.
- Before: Chrome 156.0.8078.47, 20 Oct 2026, 353 security flaws
- After: Chrome 156.0.8078.79, 29 Oct 2026, 21 security flaws
- Chrome updates, every release and the latest version
- Updates, the latest version of everything HARD tracks
References
- ^ Google. “Stable Channel Update for Desktop”, 27 Oct 2026.