Google Chrome WARNING – dodgy extensions downloaded by 80millions users could tank your phone’s battery - The Sun

Google Chrome WARNING – dodgy extensions downloaded by 80millions users could tank your phone’s battery - The Sun

Google Chrome WARNING – dodgy extensions downloaded by 80millions users could tank your phone’s battery - The Sun

Posted: 04 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT

MALICIOUS Google Chrome extensions downloaded by more than 80million people have been uncovered by cyber security buffs.

The dodgy tools available through the Chrome Web Store allowed hackers to take over your phone or spam you with ads that tank your gadget's battery life.

Google Chrome extensions are like apps for your browser

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Google Chrome extensions are like apps for your browserCredit: Alamy

More than 300 harmful extensions were uncovered by AdGuard, which builds a line of ad-blocking and privacy protection software.

The downloads were disguised as ad-blocking tools, games, themes and wallpapers. They have now been removed from the Chrome Web Store.

"You'll never have to scroll far or spend a lot of time to find scam extensions," AdGuard wrote in a blog post last week.

"You can always trust Chrome Web Store to bump such extensions to the very top of the list."

The harmful extensions allowed hackers to take over your phone or spam you with ads to tank your gadget's battery

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The harmful extensions allowed hackers to take over your phone or spam you with ads to tank your gadget's batteryCredit: Alamy

AdGuard discovered the network of fake extensions while researching a series of dodgy ad-blockers.

The network comprised roughly 300 extensions downloaded by 80million people worldwide.

In their blog post, the team reported three tactics used by hackers to swindle unsuspecting users.

One involved injecting ads into Google search results that were riddled with malware.

Dodgy Google Chrome extensions to avoid

Here are some of the malicious extensions discovered by AdGuard...

  • ScreenShot & Screen Capture Elite"
  • Kawaii Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Wallpaper New Tab"
  • "Kpop SHINee Wallpapers HD New Tab"
  • "Tokyo Ghoul Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Mega Man Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Weather forecast for Chrome™"
  • "Kpop Blackpink Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Kpop Red Velvet HD NewTab Themes"
  • "Tumblr Wallpapers Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "season 6 fortnite HD Wallpapers NewTab"
  • "Unicorn Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "My Hero Academia Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Cs Go Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Super Junior Wallpapers Eunhyuk"
  • "Boku No Hero Academia Wallpaper HD New Tab"
  • "D.Gray-man Backgrounds New Tab"
  • "Super Cars - Sports Cars Wallpaper HD New Tab"
  • "Lil Pump HD New Tab"
  • "3D Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Snowman & Gingerbread New Tab Constellations"
  • "Gucci Tab Themes HD Bape"
  • "Bulldogs Tab"
  • "Kobe Bryant - Black Mamba New Tab Themes HD"
  • "GTA 5 Grand Theft Auto"
  • "Bangtan Boys Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Aquarium Live Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "RM & Jin Tab Wallpapers"
  • "Akame Ga Kill Wallpapers HD"
  • "Sports Cars"
  • "Moving Wallpapers Wallpapers"
  • "Christmas Tree Lights NewTab Emoji"
  • "Jungkook HD Tab Backgrounds"
  • "CS GO Themes NewTab"
  • "One Direction 1D HD NewTab"
  • "My Hero Academia Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Suga"
  • "Puppies Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Gta V Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Lamborghini Live Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Tokyo Ghoul Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Galaxy Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Stargate SG-1 Tab Wallpapers HD"
  • "Rogue One - Star Wars Wallpaper HD New Tab"
  • "Bugatti Vs Lamborghini Wallpaper HD New Tab"
  • "Galaxy Space Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Avengers Endgame"
  • "Spiderman HD NewTab Comics"
  • "Glitter Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Super Cars Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Naruto Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Cats & Dogs Wallpapers & Cats & Dogs Games"
  • "Riverdale Tab Themes"
  • "Kawaii Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Stephen Curry NewTab Wallpapers"
  • "Naruto Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Witcher Backgrounds HD Tab"
  • "Planet Earth Nature Space Art Wallpaper Tab"
  • "Galaxy Space Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Beagle Wallpapers New Tab"
  • "Blue Exorcist Wallpapers NewTab"
  • "Boku No Hero Academia Wallpaper HD New Tab"
  • "Sicario Day Of The Soldado Themes NewTab"
  • "StarCraft Themes NewTab"
  • "Nike Themes"
  • "Jesus New Tab"
  • "Sword Art Online Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Bts Suga"
  • "Hot Rod Wallpapers - Classic Cars Themes"
  • "Anime Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Zelda Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Anime Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"
  • "Video Downloader and MP3 converter Pro"
  • "Danganronpa Wallpapers"
  • "Adblocker for YouTube - Youtube Adblocker"
  • "Cristiano Ronaldo Wallpapers"
  • "Mac Wallpaper HD Custom New Tab"

This has been used by crooks before and can be used to take over your mobile. It has also been known to affect your phone or laptop's battery life.

A second method used by a portion of the dodgy extensions sets web cookies for users that then funneled affiliate payments back to the hacker.

This was mostly used to make some extra cash but could also have had a negative impact on your battery performance.

Finally, a third approach allowed hackers to remotely change how your phone worked at a moment's notice.

"They can start doing some shady stuff at any second," AdGuard said.

Dodgy extensions disguised as legitimate ones are banned by Google and the firm monitors and attempts to keep the Chrome Web Store free of them.

AdGuard reported the extensions found by its team to Google.

The search giant had not removed them from the Chrome Web Store at the time the blog was published on August 4.

However, the company later removed most of them after AdGuard's research began to appear on news sites, AdGuard said.

A Google spokesperson told The Sun: "When we are alerted of extensions in the Web Store that violate our policies, we take action and use those incidents as training material to improve our automated and manual analyses."

Google Chrome – what you need to know

Here's a quick guide...

  • Google Chrome is a web browser created by Google
  • It's cross-platform, which means it works on a range of systems including Microsoft Windows and Apple's iOS
  • The browser also serves as the main part of Chrome OS – Google's own operating system
  • Most of Chrome's code comes from Chromium, an open-source project built by Google
  • Google Chrome is Google's general-release browser based on Chromium, but anyone can build a Chromium app
  • The full Google Chrome browser is completely free to download and use
  • And according to StatCounter, around 68% of all web browsers globally are Google Chrome
  • That's down from a peak of 72%
  • Google Chrome was first released on September 2, 2008

AdGuard accused Google of setting up lax safeguards for Web Store users.

"These extensions keep occupying top positions in the Store and doing their dark deeds," researchers wrote.

"Maybe I just need to wait more, like a month? But I'm afraid during that month a couple hundred thousands more users will get hurt."

The Sun has reached out to Google for comment.

To protect yourself from dodgy Google Chrome extensions, AdGuard provided the following advice:

  • If you're going to install a browser extension, think again. Maybe you don't really need it?
  • Install extensions only from the developers you trust.
  • Don't believe what you read in the extension's description.
  • Reading the users' reviews won't help as well. Most of the malicious extensions have excellent reviews and yet they are malicious.
  • Don't use the Chrome Web Store internal search, follow the links on the trusted developers' websites directly.
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Have you come across any dodgy Google Chrome extensions? Let us know in the comments...

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