Google Chrome has a new warning: dozens of risky extensions that you should remove right away
A security report discovered dozens of infected extensions, despite the fact that the Google Chrome extension store is generally safe. Given that there are currently over 4 million installations of these extensions worldwide, the community is on high alert as a result of this warning.
According to an Ars Technica report, there are 35 extensions in the Chrome Web Store that are carrying out "suspicious." The odd thing is that all of the extensions exhibit similar behaviors that security experts find strange, and they all seem to contain spyware that can steal user data in one way or another.
What is the operation of these add-ons?
They found that the 35 extensions function similarly and need the same user permissions, as we previously stated. Considering that these permissions are meant for extensions that should not need them, they are obviously excessive. These extensions, for instance, have the ability to run scripts, access cookies, interact with user traffic from web addresses they visit, and even change tab management while browsing. According to these experts, in order to prevent issues, anyone who has any of the aforementioned extensions installed should uninstall them right away.
These extensions are in the forefront of your browser's and device's control due to the permissions they receive, which presents a serious risk that cannot be disregarded. The security company Secure Annex claims to have examined every extension and discovered that practically all of them make use of permissions that are unnecessary for their operation.
They also mention that all of them can be found in the Google Chrome Store, although they are all listed as "unlisted." This implies that although you can download the extensions from the Chrome Store, they will not show up when you search for them. Direct links are the only way to access the extensions. This implies, for instance, that users trust extensions when they see them in the Chrome Store and that developers can offer them on their websites.
The complete list is as follows to see if you have any of the impacted add-ons:
Choose Your Chrome Tools
Incognito Shield for Chrome
Safe Search for Chrome
In Site Search for Chrome
Privacy Guard for Chrome
Yahoo Search by Ghost
Private Search for Chrome
Securify Your Browser
Browse Securely for Chrome
Securify Advanced Web Protection
News Search for Chrome
SecuryBrowse for Chrome
Total Safety for Chrome
Fire Shield Chrome Safety
Securify Kid Protection
Bing Search by Securify
Fire Shield Extension Protection
Unbiased Search by Protecto
Better Browse by SecurySearch
Check My Permissions for Chrome
Website Safety for Chrome
Browser Checkup for Chrome by Doctor
Protecto for Chrome
MultiSearch for Chrome
Global search for Chrome
Map Search for Chrome
Watch Tower Overview
Data Shield for Chrome
Browser WatchDog for Chrome
Incognito Search for Chrome
Web Results for Chrome
Web Privacy Assistant
Cuponomia – Coupon and Cashback
Securify for Chrome
Browse Securely for Chrome
In light of this incident, experts advise users to be careful about what they install on their browsers, as it can be just as dangerous as installing apps on their mobile devices. You need to be extremely careful, and most importantly, install only what you need. This way, we can avoid accidents as much as possible.