57 Shades of Chrome: Risky Extensions Sneakily Spy on 6 Million Users!
Risky Chrome extensions, used by 6 million people, can access cookies, monitor behavior, and execute remote scripts. Discovered by Secure Annex researcher John Tuckner, these hidden extensions promise privacy protection but have overly broad permissions. If installed, remove them immediately and consider resetting passwords. Google is investigating the extensions following Tuckner’s report.
Hot Take:
Who knew that the biggest threat to your online safety might not be a shadowy hacker in a basement but rather that innocuous-looking browser extension promising to save you 30% on your next pizza order? It’s time to think twice before clicking ‘Add to Chrome,’ folks! Your safety could be one ‘Fire Shield’ away from going up in smoke.
Key Points:
- 57 Chrome extensions have been flagged for risky capabilities, such as monitoring browsing behavior and accessing cookies.
- These extensions are not searchable on the Chrome Web Store; they require a direct URL for installation.
- Originally intended as private tools, these extensions may be used by threat actors for malicious purposes.
- Researcher John Tuckner discovered these extensions, citing their potential spyware capabilities.
- Google is investigating the extensions, some of which have been removed from the Chrome Web Store.
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