Chrome users report broken connections after Chrome 124 release

Google Chrome users have been reporting having trouble connecting to websites, servers, and firewalls after Chrome 124 was released last week with quantum-resistant X25519Kyber768 encryption.

A search on X found that the issue was a widespread problem and that many users also had trouble enabling audio to play music and videos even after rebooting and reinstalling.

This recent news broke after the Google Security team reported late last week that after several months of experimentation for compatibility and performance impacts, it launched a hybrid postquantum TLS key exchange to desktop platforms in Chrome 124.

Google said the aim of the launch was to protect user traffic from so-called “store now, decrypt later” attacks, in which a future quantum computer could decrypt encrypted traffic recorded today. These “store now, decrypt later” attacks happen when attackers collect encrypted data and store it for future use when new decryption methods are potentially developed using quantum computers or encryption keys.

Systems often need to maintain compatibility with older hardware and software that may not support the latest versions of TLS or newer cryptographic algorithms, explained Jason Soroko, senior vice president of product at Sectigo. To ensure broader accessibility, Soroko said some systems might continue to support older, less secure versions of TLS.  

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