Technology companies are fixing flaws that could allow hackers to steal personal data from computer systems.
Google's researchers said there were "serious security flaws" in the chips manufactured by Intel, AMD and ARM, affecting the devices they use.
They had been aware of the problem for several months and hoped to find a solution before announcing the details.
The National Center for Cyber Security in the United Kingdom said there was no evidence that these flaws had been exploited.
Intel, which provides chips for 80 percent of desktop PCs and 90 percent of laptops worldwide, said some bugs, such as things like software updates, have been fixed or will be available in the next few days.
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The chips are the basic electronic systems of many devices such as computers and mobile phones.
The case was originally raised in connection with Intel's chips, but the company said it was "wrong".
"Many types of computers - information processors and operating systems for many companies - are vulnerable to exploitation," Intel said.
ARM said software patches and updates had been sent to customers, including many smart phone manufacturers.
AMD said it believed the risk of using the company's products was almost zero at the moment.
Security updates
In a conference call with investors, Intel said researchers had shown that hackers could exploit faults, read memory and possibly access information such as passwords or hardware encryption keys.
Microsoft, which uses Intel chips, said it would launch security updates on Thursday, saying it had no information that any data was at risk.
Apple is working to update laptops and desktops.
Google has published a blog detailing what some customers might need. She said that the phones running Android operating system with the latest security updates are protected, adding that the service "Gmail" is also safe.
Google said it would issue security updates for users of the old ChromeBook devices, and there would be a fix for Chrome browser users on the Web.
The National Security Center said it was aware of reports of possible flaws and advised all organizations and home users to "continue to protect their systems from threats by updating programs whenever possible."
"It's important, but whether it's going to be widely used is something else," said Alan Woodward of the University of Surrey.