Google’s January 23, 2024, Chrome 121 desktop stable release fixed security issues, including three high-severity flaws highlighted in SecurityWeek’s report. SecurityWeek counted 17 vulnerabilities, while Google’s release excerpt described 19 security fixes; the sources do not explain the difference. The version numbers below are historical, not current update guidance.
What the Chrome 121 security tally means
SecurityWeek reported on January 24, 2024, that Chrome 121 patched 17 vulnerabilities, 11 of them reported by external researchers. Google’s January 23 stable-channel release excerpt instead said the update contained 19 security fixes. Those are distinct counts from distinct sources; the available accounts do not establish why they differ, so they should not be treated as interchangeable.
Google listed desktop version 121.0.6167.85 for Mac and Linux, and 121.0.6167.85/.86 for Windows, with rollout over the coming days and weeks. These identify the January 2024 release only. For present-day update instructions and versions, consult Google Chrome Releases.
Three high-severity flaws SecurityWeek highlighted
SecurityWeek identified three externally reported high-severity vulnerabilities in the update. The report gave these descriptions and bounty amounts:
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| CVE | Component and flaw | Reported reward |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-0807 | Use-after-free in WebAudio | $11,000, according to SecurityWeek |
| CVE-2024-0812 | Inappropriate implementation in Accessibility | $9,000, according to SecurityWeek |
| CVE-2024-0808 | Integer underflow in WebUI | $6,000, according to SecurityWeek |
SecurityWeek said Google paid over $30,000 in rewards across externally reported flaws. The report is the source for these bounty figures; they are not independently verified against an award ledger.
Other reported issues and what was disclosed
SecurityWeek also described six medium-severity issues: two insufficient policy-enforcement bugs, two additional use-after-free flaws, an incorrect security UI defect, and an inappropriate implementation. It reported two low-severity inappropriate-implementation vulnerabilities as patched. Google was keeping technical details restricted while users received fixes, so the published descriptions do not support assumptions about exploit chains or practical attack requirements.
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SecurityWeek’s January 24 account did not say that any of the Chrome 121 vulnerabilities had been exploited in the wild. That is a statement about what the report disclosed, not proof that exploitation never occurred.
How this release relates to Chrome 120’s zero-day fix
Chrome 121 followed a January 16, 2024, Chrome 120 desktop update. Google’s release notes for that earlier update listed CVE-2024-0517 (an out-of-bounds write in V8), CVE-2024-0518 (type confusion in V8), and CVE-2024-0519 (out-of-bounds memory access in V8). Google specifically said it was aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2024-0519 existed in the wild. That notice concerned CVE-2024-0519 in the preceding release, not the Chrome 121 issues.
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What readers should do
If you are checking a device now, use Chrome’s current update interface and confirm the installed browser is up to date; do not use the 2024 version numbers in this report as a current target. Google’s Chrome browser release channels guidance explains channel options, including Extended Stable for organizations; it is not a substitute for checking current release information.
For the historical release record, the primary source is Google’s January 23, 2024, Stable Channel Update for Desktop. SecurityWeek’s account is Chrome 121 Patches 17 Vulnerabilities, published January 24, 2024. Google’s prior-release notes are the January 16, 2024, Stable Channel Update for Desktop.
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