[German]Extensions for Google Chrome such as adblockers, price tracking extensions or spell checkers are convenient and quick to install. However, for security reasons, you should keep your hands off them, as the extensions can compromise online security. Google's developers have reacted and want to warn against harmful extensions were (if they are known).
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Extensions as a security risk
I had occasionally reported here on the blog about Chrome extensions that turned out to be harmful after the fact. Cybercriminals had bought up the extension if necessary, modified it, and unleashed it on users.
I came across the above tweet in early August 2023, where cybernews.com is venting about the issue of malicious Chrome extensions. In this article, the author of the article writes that he talked to Oren Koren, co-founder of cybersecurity company Veriti. The latter advised him to delete all Chrome extensions. An inquiry to four other cybersecurity researchers revealed a similar picture.
The background was that the author had come across the online tool crxcavator.io for analyzing Chrome extensions. By analyzing various extensions, he noticed that almost all Chrome extensions have one thing in common: They all use the "chrome.webRequest" API. However, this is classified as a "critical" risk. Security researcher Koren comments, "You give the extensions access to the Google Chrome browser, so the extensions can see everything you do in the browser."
The extensions have more authority than many normal applications on systems. As a result, files on a computer may not be safe from the spying eye. As a result, the article author deleted all extensions in Chrome. Those who care about cybersecurity should not use extensions in the browser, is the advice.
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Chrome warns about malicious extensions
I just read at Bleeping Computer that Chrome developers are investing in security. Google is testing a new feature in the Chrome browser, the article says, that warns users when an installed extension has been removed from the Chrome Web Store. This step is usually an indication that malware is involved.
The background to this is that an endless number of unwanted browser extensions are published on the Chrome Web Store and promoted through pop-up ads and redirects. Cybercriminals often buy projects of such extensions to then inject ads via malicious code, redirect users to affiliate sites, spy on browsing history, and in more criminal cases, snatch credentials from online presences like GMail, Facebook, etc. and stand the accesses. In the spirit of the first paragraph above, the recommendation should rather be to completely avoid such extensions.
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