ChromeOS Security Update: What Google Fixed in November
Google lists ChromeOS 16836.32.0 in its November 6 Stable update. See which browser components were patched and where to check your version.
Google reported a ChromeOS Stable channel security update on Friday, November 6. The release lists ChromeOS version 16836.32.0 and browser version 156.0.8078.93. It applies to the regular ChromeOS channel covered by Google’s ChromeOS and ChromeOS Flex release notice.
The announcement gives Chromebook owners two version numbers to distinguish. One identifies the operating system and the other identifies its browser. If you are checking a Chromebook alongside a Mac or Windows PC, use the release notes for each device’s platform.
Google’s release identifies fixes in parts of the browser responsible for graphics, media, navigation, images and other functions. The list covers several different components, so a single version check is more practical for most readers than trying to identify each change in daily use.
What Google lists in the November 6 release
The notice lists ten browser security fixes. One addresses an out-of-bounds read in media, which describes code reading outside the area of memory it was meant to access. Another addresses a use-after-free issue in navigation, a class of bug involving memory that software continues to use after releasing it.
Google also lists fixes in WebGL and WebXR, browser technologies used for graphics and immersive content. These descriptions identify the affected parts of the browser. They do not tell a reader whether a specific website or individual Chromebook was affected.
Where to check your Chromebook’s version
Google says a Chromebook usually downloads and installs updates automatically when connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet. If it shows an update notification, follow the device’s prompt to restart. Save open work first so you can return to it after the update.
To check manually, open Settings and select About ChromeOS. Find the version under Google ChromeOS, then select Check for updates. If the device finds a download, let it finish and follow any restart prompt that appears.
Compare the operating system number with 16836.32.0, the number listed in this announcement. If the device already reports a newer release on its own channel, compare it with the corresponding release notes. It may have moved beyond the November 6 version by the time you check.
What to check if the version differs
A device’s update channel and support schedule can affect which version appears. Google explains that ChromeOS offers Stable, Beta and Dev channels. If you are checking a work or school Chromebook, ask the administrator about its update settings before changing the channel yourself.
Older models also have a published automatic update schedule. Under About ChromeOS, Google directs owners to Additional details to see the update schedule for the device. This can help you distinguish a Chromebook that is still receiving updates from one whose support period has ended.
The sources below link to Google’s release note and its update instructions. Use the release note for the version and list of fixes, and the support pages to check the update status on the device you are holding.
The Chromebook support instructions also cover update problems. Google recommends checking that the device is connected to a network and restarting before trying the update again. If the Chromebook is managed, the administrator is the point of contact for update restrictions.
Archive photo. Photo credit: Jim.henderson via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Cropped.
