Security News > 2024 > August > Chrome, Edge users beset by malicious extensions that can’t be easily removed

A widespread campaign featuring a malicious installer that saddles users with difficult-to-remove malicious Chrome and Edge browser extensions has been spotted by researchers.

"The trojan malware contains different deliverables ranging from simple adware extensions that hijack searches to more sophisticated malicious scripts that deliver local extensions to steal private data and execute various commands," the Reason Labs research team says.

"We have witnessed a very wide distribution of the malware and extensions - in total at least 300,000 users across Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge have been affected."

The script adds registry keys to force the installation of extensions from the Chrome Web Store and Edge Add-ons page, and they cannot be disabled by users because they don't show up on the browser's extensions management page - even if developer mode is activated.

The malicious Chrome extensions usually have "Search" in their name.

The researchers estimate that at least 300,000 users of the two browsers have been affected, and some have been complaining online that they cannot find a way to remove the malicious extensions.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/08/12/chrome-edge-malicious-browser-extensions/