Malicious software in the Google browser. Millions have malicious Chrome extensions installed

Browser extensions are widespread. But it is also an ideal gateway for malware. It seems that millions of Chrome users have now fallen victim to malware.

Malware has often been detected in Google Chrome browser extensions, reports security firm Avast. 32 extensions were affected, all of which are available in the official Chrome Web Store

All extensions have legitimate functionality, be it ad blockers or download managers. However, malware is also hidden in their code, some of which only activate with a time delay in order to make detection more difficult.

In almost all cases, the purpose of the malware was to display additional advertisements on websites visited by users. Adware generates revenue for the creators of rogue extensions and is not detected by many untrained users, which allows the adware to remain active for a long time.

75 million installs

According to Chrome Web Store statistics, malicious extensions have been installed on a total of 75 million devices. However, this number can be a bit exaggerated, as scammers often create artificial installs to push their own extensions up the download charts.

All extensions have since been removed from the Chrome Web Store by Google. However, it turns out that even the official platform for browser extensions is not 100% secure. When installing extensions, especially if they ask for many permissions, you should proceed with caution.