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Browser extensions are add-ons that we install in our browsers to enrich our Internet experience. There are very popular ones, such as those that block the on web pages. Others are lesser known, like a tool to take and edit screenshots or to group multiple tabs for those who keep opening them. Whatever it is, sometimes they are nothing more than a door for the hands of the cybercriminal to enter. And our data is exposed, and can be scammed at any time.
Beware of malicious plugins in Google Chrome
Google recently analyzed its add-on store and estimated that more than 500, said to be soon, contained some type of malicious file. In other words, the user was innocently installing an add-on on his computer that, in reality, was nothing more than malware And all this thanks to the investigative work carried out by Jamila Kaya and her team at the security company Cisco Duo.
Within these add-ons, malicious developers introduced malicious advertisements (so-called 'Malvertising') embedded into users' browsing sessions. These ads appeared under certain browsing conditions and sent users, without their knowledge or permission, to seemingly legitimate sites from companies like Best Buy or similar stores.The user might think that the store was real, with some kind of juicy offer But the page simply imitated the store and thus stole the user's card details .
Virus in Google Chrome, a problem that comes from afar
This virus operation in more than five hundred Google plugins is part of an illegal operation that has been running for more than two years and has not been discovered until now. More alarmingly, the group behind this plot may have been in operation since early 2010
The discovery of this group of malicious add-ons has been possible thanks to the CRXcavator service, a tool that deeply analyzes the code of these add-ons for Chrome.According to the researcher who uncovered the case, thanks to this program she was able to detect at least a dozen programs that shared the same (suspicious) code The extensions were running on an identical code base but using generic names that included little information, which raised alarm bells for this researcher.Watch out
What is really worrying is that this first batch of infected add-ons had already been downloaded by more than 1.7 million people At that time At a precise moment, Cisco Duo contacted Google to alert them of this situation. From then on, Google would discover more than 500 programs that used the same pattern. The exact number of downloads is not known, but we have verified that the situation is serious since it has exceeded one million.
It is common for legitimate add-ons to include ads that, of course, redirect to legitimate sites.It is the most common way they have to raise money since these add-ons are usually free in most cases. But the ads must be as intrusive as possible so that, precisely, they are not confused with viruses.
The Cisco Duo page echoed this information, publishing a table in which we can see a sample of the add-ons that used tricks to try to steal users' personal data.
The only advice we can give you is to apply common sense: don't click on ads and be wary of offers that they are too good to be true. Because no, they are not.
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