Google has updated version 8 of its browser. The update addresses 16 security vulnerabilities in the WebKit-based browser: one rated as Critical, 13 rated as High, and two rated as Medium.
Google spent $14,470.70 in bug bounties for the flaws fixed in this release, including the first maximum reward of $3133.70. "We're delighted to offer our first 'elite' $3133.7 Chromium Security Reward to Sergey Glazunov," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "Critical bugs are harder to come by in Chrome, but Sergey has done it. Sergey also collects a $1337 reward and several other rewards at the same time, so congratulations Sergey!"
The latest stable build has been updated from version 8.0.552.215 to 8.0.552.237. You can download it now for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Those who currently have Chrome installed can use the built-in update function under the About Google Chrome menu item.
The stable version of Chrome 8 was released last month, adding a built-in PDF viewer, Adobe Flash Player secured in Chrome's sandbox, and support for Google's Chrome Web Store, which lets shoppers browse Flash and HTML5 apps in the very near future. We're not sure why Google is pushing out this update now, given that Chrome 9 should be released very soon, according to the company's schedule of releasing a new stable build every six weeks.