Google Chrome Remove Extensions Believed to Be Loaded With Spyware

Google Chrome is undoubtedly the most popular browser used by not millions but billions of individuals around the world. It is a very fast browser packed with interesting features. One can judge its popularity by the fact that users download and install it in their devices where Chrome is not provided as a default browser. Users freely added browser extensions to their Chrome having blind faith on its security features. These millions of individuals have received a rude jolt by a recent news report about a spyware ring associated with Google Chrome. Google Chrome support has reacted to the development and taken down many such extensions.

‘Awake Security’ researchers have busted a ring of hackers that created extensions for Google Chrome loaded with spyware. This organized crime was going on for a very long time with the ringmasters easily distributing spyware through distribution of seemingly innocuous browser extensions. No one knows for sure how much damage has been caused because of such spyware but the fact remains that the victims downloaded these Chrome extensions for more than 32 million times. After these researchers raise the red flag about these spyware loaded extensions last month, the search engine giant came into action. Google Chrome tech support has responded by taking down nearly 70 extensions from its Chrome web store.

Researchers who found out about the malicious activities of these extensions said that nearly all such extensions were distributed free of cost by the hackers. They were apparently useful extensions for the users that pretended to be very safe by raising alarm whenever the user tried to visit a harmful website. However, once the extensions were downloaded and installed, they indulged in nefarious activities without the knowledge and permission of the users. These programs contained spyware to keep a close watch on the browsing history of the user. They also looked for private and sensitive details of the users stored inside the computer. What is surprising is the fact that these extensions were connected to a network of nearly 15000 websites and they could transmit sensitive details about the user. These malicious domains were purchased from Galcomm, a communication company backed by Israel. The company has denied any role in this spyware campaign.

It is going to be an uphill task for Google Chrome to track down the identities of developers who made these extensions. This is because these extensions were submitted to Chrome Web store with fake identities. In any case, Google Chrome is no interested in unearthing the kingpin behind this spyware racket as its own reputation as a highly secure browser comes under fire. It is really embarrassing for Google Chrome because the company had claimed to have ramped up security way back in 2018.

Comments

Malwarebytes Slams Apple for the Poor Quality Patching Process

Malwarebytes has emerged as one of the most popular antivirus systems around the world in recent times. This is when Malwarebytes does not fulfill the requirements to be labeled as fully-fledged antivirus. Recently, the company surprised everyone by complaining against Apple, one of the biggest tech companies in the world. In a blog post written by Malwarebytes support , the company criticized the patching process of Apple saying it can have serious repercussions for the safety and security of the systems being used by the customers. Thomas Reid, Mac and mobile director in Malwarebytes, wrote a blog post that centers on a campaign called Watering Hole being run in Hong Kong. Watering Hole is actually a security threat that was aimed at the users of Mac OS who were directing people to a pro-democracy event supported by a political organization. TAG from Google first reported about Watering Hole some time ago. Hackers made use of two vulnerabilities in the Mac OS to launch th...

Avg Browser Extensions Caught Spying on User’s Behavior

AVG antivirus free version is the most popular software used by people to safeguard their safety against online threats. Users are asked to install some browser extensions when setting up the program on their computers. Recently, Mozilla has removed some browser extensions being offered by Avast and AVG antivirus programs. This was done as there were reports that these extensions were spying on the browsing behaviors of the customers and gathering this data. AVG customer care is not confirming these reports as of now. The extensions that have been blamed for snooping on browsing history of users are AVG SafePrice, AVG Online Security, Avast SafePrice, and Avast Online Security. If you are not aware, Online Security extension claims to protect the user by disallowing visit to a malicious website. On the other hand, SafePrice browser extension says it works to apprise the user about websites where it can get higher discounts and better deals. It appears that both these ...

Malwarebytes Premium Support: Multiple Layers of Protection

In times not so long ago, antivirus products were of a simple nature and they provided protection to the system against viruses of all kinds. In those days, viruses were easy to be detected. Today, there are multiple threats that take on different forms like ransomware, malware, rootkits, Trojans, and so on, making it difficult for any antivirus to identify and destroy all these threats. Malwarebytes Premium 4.0 carries out behavior based analysis in addition to providing other layers of protection to the user. Malwarebytes premium support costs just $39.99 per annum and by paying $79.99, you can get this support on up to 5 of your devices. The dashboard tells you that your system is protected when everything is all right. It also tells you the details of the last scan. On the right side of the dashboard are the toggles that work as controls for 4 layered security provided by the program. If you click on the scan button on the middle panel, Malwarebytes Premium 4 begins a sc...

Toby:games24

Search This Blog