Chrome 124 improves font rendering, bookmarks, and password manager

Google developers have published the release of Chrome browser version 124. To comply with EU DMA law, it now shows a page to set your default search engine. It has also introduced support for saving bookmarks in Android and encapsulating keys using a quantum-resistant algorithm in Windows, macOS and Linux. Here are the details.

What's new in Chrome 124

• On Android, the bookmark manager now supports saving bookmarks and pending reading lists on Google servers in connection with an account.
• A new method has been introduced for storing local passwords that are not synchronized with other devices. They are located in the Google Play services password storage.
• For Windows, macOS and Linux, TLS enabled by default support for a key encapsulation mechanism with a quantum-resistant hybrid algorithm X25519Kyber768.
• When rendering text, the Skia library takes into account the contrast and color settings specified in Windows for ClearType text smoothing technology , which can significantly improve the quality of font display on LCD monitors. In builds for Linux, the fonts used in the interface have noticeably changed.
• Any web page can be saved as a PWA.
• To comply with EU DMA law, a dialog box is displayed to select the default search engine.
• Implemented a request to the user to grant permissions when the application accesses the Web MIDI API, which allows you to fully control the MIDI device and install your own firmware.
• Support for the Web SQL API was discontinued, and developers were offered an alternative in the form of the SQLite library.
• Several improvements for web developers that are mentioned here.

In addition to new features and bug fixes, the new version closes 22 vulnerabilities. Many of the vulnerabilities were identified as a result of automated testing using the AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, Control Flow Integrity, LibFuzzer and AFL tools. No critical problems have been identified that would allow one to bypass all levels of browser protection and execute code on the system outside the sandbox.