Google was able to quickly fix the problem.
Google Company apologized for an outage that left millions of Windows users with problems accessing passwords saved in the Chrome browser. The incident occurred on July 24 and lasted for about 18 hours. The company explained that it was caused by a “change in the way the product operates without proper control over the functions.”
The issue affected users of Chrome M127 for Windows worldwide. Google estimates that the failure affected 2% of users who installed the configuration update, which is about 15 million people. As a result, users temporarily lost access to passwords saved in the browser and were also unable to save new ones.
To solve the problem, Google offered a temporary solution involving launching the browser with a specific command line flag. A full patch was subsequently released, which can be installed by simply restarting the browser.
It’s worth noting that Chrome’s built-in password manager isn’t the most secure solution for storing sensitive information. Cybersecurity experts recommend using separate password managers that offer a broader range of security features, such as two-factor authentication and stronger encryption.
However, even a basic password manager is better than no password manager at all. It helps you avoid using the same passwords across multiple accounts and services, and encourages you to create more complex passwords that are resistant to hacking.
This is the second time Google has been hit with security issues in recent times. Previously, users reported a glitch that allowed attackers to bypass email verification when creating a Google Workspace account. The vulnerability was related to the free trial feature for Google Workspace services, such as Google Docs.
The vulnerability allowed attackers to create fake accounts and access third-party services, such as Dropbox, on behalf of domain owners. Google confirmed the issue and said it was fixed within 72 hours of discovery. According to the company, the number of fake accounts was several thousand.
