These five Google Chrome extensions are stealing your data, delete them now

Google Chrome offers support for hundreds of extensions that making web browsing safer and more productive. While Google does scan these extensions for safety before making them available on its web browser, some malicious extensions that have the potential to steal user data or hamper users’ privacy do manage to sneak through the company’s tight security every now and then. In a more recent incident, reports have detailed new malicious Chrome extensions that have manage to bypass Google’s protections to steal user data.

Cyber security firm McAfee has discovered a total of five malicious Google Chrome extensions that have a total install base of over 1,400,000 and have been stealing data from their users. The report says that while these extensions offer various functions such as enabling users to watch Netflix shows together, website coupons, and taking screenshots of a website, they also track users’ browsing activity.

“Every website visited is sent to servers owned by the extension creator. They do this so that they can insert code into eCommerce websites being visited. This action modifies the cookies on the site so that the extension authors receive affiliate payment for any items purchased,” McAfee wrote in its blog post.

The five malicious Chrome extensions are:

— Netflix Party that has amassed 8,00,000 downloads so far.

— Netflix Party 2 that has amassed 3,00,000 downloads so far.

— FlipShope that has got 80,000 downloads so far.

— Full Page Screenshot Capture that has gotten 2,00,000 downloads so far.

— AutoBuy Flash Sales that has got 20,000 downloads so far.

The cyber security firm also said while the malware in these Google Chrome extensions was concealing its presence by offering the promised functionality, that some of the extensions mentioned use a mechanism that would prevent them from being identified in automated analysis environments.

“We discovered an interesting trick in a few of the extensions that would prevent malicious activity from being identified in automated analysis environments. They contained a time check before they would perform any malicious activity. This was done by checking if the current date is > 15 days from the time of installation,” the company added.

It is advised that Google Chrome users who have installed these extensions should uninstall them immediately.

The post These five Google Chrome extensions are stealing your data, delete them now appeared first on BGR India.

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