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A New Security Layer for Chrome Users on Windows
In a move focused on user safety, Google is making a significant change to how Chrome behaves on Windows. Chrome will now automatically de-elevate itself when launched with administrative privileges, aligning with a security measure Microsoft has already implemented in its Edge browser. This update, driven by Microsoft developers contributing to the open-source Chromium project, is meant to prevent high-risk scenarios where malware downloaded through the browser gains full system access. While Chrome won’t do this in automation environments, regular users will benefit from this silent but critical safeguard. Here’s everything you need to know about this change and why it matters.
Chrome Gets Safer: Here’s What’s Changing
Google Chrome is receiving a new security feature that automatically reduces its privilege level when launched with administrator rights. This change comes courtesy of Microsoft’s contributions to the Chromium codebase and mirrors functionality introduced in the Edge browser back in 2019. Initially, Edge would simply warn users about running with elevated permissions, but it later evolved to automatically prevent such launches.
Now, the same logic is coming to Chrome. If a user tries to start Chrome with elevated (admin) rights, the browser will attempt to re-launch itself without those rights. This is based on enhancements previously made to Edge and is aimed at minimizing the risk of security breaches. If the de-elevation fails, Chrome will fall back to the current behavior and proceed with elevated privileges, but only as a last resort.
To avoid looping issues during relaunch attempts, Microsoft added a command-line switch called -do-not-de-elevate, which prevents repeated attempts to downgrade permissions. This ensures that legitimate use cases involving automation scripts or system-level processes are not interrupted.
The primary reason behind this change is the increased security risk associated with browsers running in administrator mode. Any file downloaded through Chrome while it’s running with full system privileges inherits those rights. If that file is malicious, it could wreak havoc by bypassing standard Windows protections and executing harmful code system-wide.
Microsoft has long warned against using browsers in admin mode for this reason. The automatic de-elevation is a proactive step to protect users who might be unaware of these risks. While enterprise and automation environments will still be able to use elevated Chrome processes when needed, average users will now have an extra layer of protection built in.
This update is currently being rolled out gradually and may soon be a standard behavior across all Chrome installations on Windows.
What Undercode Say:
This quiet but crucial change is a textbook example of how modern security is increasingly about what happens behind the scenes. By defaulting Chrome to a lower privilege level during launch, Google and Microsoft are addressing one of the oldest and most dangerous problems in computing: giving too much power to software that interfaces directly with the internet.
The root issue lies in how operating systems handle privileges. When an application is run as an administrator, it’s essentially given a master key to your entire machine. That’s fine for trusted software in controlled environments, but it’s a massive liability for anything connected to the internet—like a browser.
Hackers know this, and they’ve long targeted users who run their browsers as admins. Why? Because anything downloaded via the browser will run with the same elevated rights. One malicious file can exploit that to gain system-level access, install rootkits, or manipulate core Windows files.
Microsoft faced this head-on in Edge by preventing admin-level execution and now brings that same resilience to Chrome via the shared Chromium framework. The automatic de-elevation process reflects a deeper shift in cybersecurity best practices: reduce permissions wherever possible and only escalate when absolutely necessary.
Importantly, Microsoft isn’t removing elevated execution entirely. Developers and automated systems can still bypass the de-elevation when needed using the -do-not-de-elevate switch. This shows a balanced approach that prioritizes security without sacrificing usability for technical users.
Another important aspect here is the move’s subtlety. Most users won’t even realize this protection is in place. That’s ideal. Security should be seamless and non-intrusive. With this feature baked into the background, casual users are shielded from unnecessary risk without lifting a finger.
Looking at the broader ecosystem, this kind of cooperation between Microsoft and Google—often seen as rivals—highlights the importance of open-source collaboration for shared security improvements. When Chromium benefits, so do Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Opera users.
For cybersecurity professionals, this update reinforces a critical principle: never trust user behavior to secure systems. Instead, build safeguards directly into the platforms. As phishing and malware threats become more sophisticated, automated protections like these are the best defense.
Fact Checker Results ✅
Confirmed: Microsoft contributed the de-elevation code to Chromium.
Verified: Chrome now automatically reduces privileges on elevated launches.
True: Admin-mode browsing increases malware risk 🚨🛡️👨💻
Prediction 🔮
As users become more security-conscious, browsers will continue adopting behind-the-scenes protections like Chrome’s automatic de-elevation. Expect future versions to include sandboxing enhancements, stricter download checks, and AI-assisted threat detection. This move is just the start of a larger industry trend toward invisibly hardened browsing environments that don’t rely on users to do the right thing.
References:
Reported By: www.bleepingcomputer.com
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