XBOW Discovered Chrome Vulnerabilities, Received $250,000 Google Reward
Security research team XBOW has identified and exploited multiple vulnerabilities in the Google Chrome browser. Google has since fixed the issues and awarded the team a $250,000 bounty.
The security research team XBOW has discovered and developed a method to exploit several vulnerabilities within the Google Chrome browser. These vulnerabilities were estimated to potentially affect up to one billion users worldwide. Google has confirmed that all three discovered vulnerabilities have been patched and has awarded XBOW a $250,000 bug bounty.
XBOW stated that they utilized OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol model, alongside other AI tools, in their research. The team reported achieving full system access within six days, a feat they estimate would take approximately six months if performed solely by human researchers. AI was employed for tasks such as searching Chrome's source code, testing hypotheses, and developing initial exploit concepts.
The computational cost for this research amounted to roughly $40,000. The team members directed the AI's efforts, reviewed its outputs, and adjusted strategies based on the results. This project highlights the increasing role of AI in complex security research, accelerating discovery and development timelines.
XBOW advises all users to ensure their Chrome browser is updated to the latest version, as the vulnerabilities they identified have now been addressed by Google.