Chrome risk: Millions use invisible espionage extensions

57 Chrome extensions with more than 6 million users collect browser data secretly. The add-ons cannot be found in the Chrome Web Store and require extensive permissions. Some even wear Google’s “featured” badge.

Dangerous chrome extensions in hidden

The trust in chrome extensions has shaken an alarming discovery: cyber security researchers have identified 57 potentially risky add-ons that together reach over 6 million users. These extensions, which are “invisible”, do not appear in the Chrome Web Store nor are they recorded by search engines.

You can only install users if the direct URL is known to you. The affected add-ons require extensive permissions, including access to the entire course of the browser, all cookies and the possibility of performing JavaScript on websites visited.

Among the best known are “Cuponomia: Coupons and Cashback” with over 700,000 users as well as “Fire Shield Extension Protection” and “Total Safety for Chrome”, each recording over 300,000 installations. In an analysis the Researcher John Tuckner from Secure Annex questionable properties of these extensions.

However, many of them pretend to protect users from harmful extensions or offer useful functions, but often do not fulfill these promises. Instead, they contain heavily veiled code that collects browser information and transfers to external servers. These extensions can potentially monitor the entire surfing behavior and access stored cookies and are therefore remotely controlled.

Mysterious distribution and Google identification

A puzzling aspect is the inexplicably high number of users of these hidden extensions. Experts suspect that they are spread through advertisements or in combination with unwanted software. Ironically, some of these suspicious add-on even carry the “featured” badge of Google, which is intended for trustworthy extensions. 

Protection measures for Chrome users

Users who have installed one of the affected extensions should remove them immediately and change their passwords for important online services. A complete list of suspicious add-ons is in a public table. This discovery emphasizes the importance of being careful when installing browser extensions and only choosing those that offer clear benefits.