Google has announced the release of version 152 of its Chrome web browser. This update introduces a series of adjustments focused on preparing the ecosystem for future security standards, modifying extension management, and offering developers new visual control tools.
Furthermore, it brings excellent news for the Linux community with the integration of new packaging formats, as it introduces experimental support for distributing Chrome on Linux through Flatpak packages, achieving native interaction with the system through XDG portals.
This version fixes a total of 327 vulnerabilities, ten of which were classified as critical because they allowed attackers to bypass the browser's sandbox and execute code on the system. Eight of these critical vulnerabilities were related to use-after-free (use-after-free) exploits .
What's new in Chrome 152
The most significant short-term change for users is the permanent removal of extensions based on the second version of the manifest (Manifest V2). Starting August 31, all add-ons built using this older API will be removed from the Chrome Web Store . While extensions that are already installed will continue to function locally, they will lose the ability to receive updates and cannot be reinstalled if removed.
For Windows users, Chrome 152 introduces a security layer based on Access Control Lists (ACLs). This mechanism blocks browser processes from reading and writing to memory , preventing code injection. However, due to potential conflicts with antivirus software or accessibility tools, this feature is disabled by default. Interested users can enable it by setting the flag chrome://flags/#enable-process-isolation-ui and configuring the isolation mode in the browser's system settings.
Improvements to standalone web applications and new APIs
Isolated Web Applications (IWAs) now support sub-applications . This means developers can distribute multiple programs with separate names, icons, and file associations within a single IWA installation. Specifically for ChromeOS, these applications now feature a borderless viewing mode , expanding the content to fill the entire window and removing the traditional title bar. The custom URI scheme googlechrome:// has also been experimentally implemented , designed to allow external sites opened in other browsers to invoke Chrome when a specific link is clicked.
The CPU performance API allows websites to query the user's processor capacity; to protect privacy, Chrome includes a menu (Settings > Performance > Speed) where this data can be falsified by selecting levels from 0 (unknown) to 4 (ultra performance).
In the CSS design section, the pseudo-elements ::backdrop, ::scroll-marker, and ::view-transition are added to control modal backgrounds, scroll indicators, and transition animations by interacting directly with JavaScript. Additionally, the alpha() function is incorporated to manipulate color transparency, and the window-drag property is added to define which areas of a pre-built web application (PWA) act as a draggable title bar.
On mobile devices , the Android version introduces a unified screen that centralizes password management and form autofill data . Mobile security is also enhanced: by activating "Enhanced Protection," the browser will completely block the loading of websites flagged as malicious, requiring explicit manual confirmation from the user to view the content. The HTML autocorrect attribute has also been added to the <input> and <textarea> tags to give developers control over autocorrect in text fields.
How to update Chrome on Linux?
If you use Debian or Ubuntu-based distributions and have the official Google repository configured, simply run the standard update commands in your terminal:
sudo apt update
sudo apt --only-upgrade install google-chrome-stable
For those using Fedora, RHEL, or AlmaLinux-based systems, the process is performed via DNF using the following command:
sudo dnf upgrade google-chrome-stable
If you prefer to try the new experimental format using Flatpak, you can search for the application directly on Flathub (once the official package is available in its repository) or install it via the command line:
flatpak update com.google.Chrome