While Windows 10 is facing plenty of issues created by Microsoft’s hand, some third-party services are also causing headaches on the platform. One of them is a new exploit that was found in Google Chrome, the market-leading web browser. Specifically, the app has the potential to freeze Windows 10 machines.
It seems the bug is a tech support scam that locks down the Windows 10 device and tells users it has been infected by a virus. By using Javascript code, the bug can create a loop that prevents Chrome from functioning, also locking down tabs.
When the machine freezes, a pop-up appears claiming to be sent from Microsoft support. This window says Windows 10 is infected and data and personal information are at risk.
It is worth mentioning this pop-up is also in the loop, so closing it will result in its popping up again. Not only that, it pushes device resources to 100% and will eventually render the whole PC useless.
Fix
Unwitting users may not know what to do and will try to close the pop-up or be willing to pay to have their machine unlocked. Luckily, fixing this exploit is very simple and those steps do not need to be taken:
- Open Task Manager from the Taskbar
- Go to the Processes tab
- Click on Google Chrome (or GoogleChrome.exe)
- Click End Task
Users are also advised to disable Chrome’s ability to restore old tabs when the browser is restarted.
