Chrome 63 Will Warn You About MitM Attacks

The Google Chrome web browser is known for the constant updates it gets. Every six weeks or so, Google updates the browser. The latest update to Chrome came in the form of Google Chrome 61 last week. The next big update will be Chrome 62 which is expected to come out around Mid-October. However, Chrome 63 is already making the news.

Currently being tested in Chrome Canary, a new Chrome 63 feature will warn the users when it suspects an MitM attack. MitM stands for Man in the Middle and it is basically an attack where the attacker hijacks the user’s internet connection.

In a MitM attack, a third party entity can get access to your private conversations and can also access data in your computer. However, starting with this Chrome 63 update, the Google Chrome web browser will be able to detect MitM attacks.

Chrome will identify these MitM attacks with the help of SSL errors that will be detected by the browser. Especially in case of multiple SSL errors in a short span of time, the browser will know that someone is trying to gain control of the web traffic of a user. Interestingly, this feature was developed for Google by an intern from Stanford, Sasha Perigo.

The Chromium Development calendar indicates that the Google Chrome 63 update will start rolling out on the 5th of December. However the date can always change between now and then. If you wish to try out this feature, you can install Chrome Canary.

Image Credits: BleepingComputer

After installing Chrome Canary, go to the ‘properties’ by right clicking on the app icon and add the following text in the ‘target’ section. “–enable-features=MITMSoftwareInterstitial” and hit “Save.” This should enable you Chrome Canary browser to stay protected from MitM attacks.

Google has been testing a number of updates for the Google Chrome web browser, such as the ability to mute video ads and a new Chrome Home UI. The ability to detect and prevent MitM attacks comes as the latest update with Chrome 63. Stay tuned with us for more!

Source: BleepingComputer

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