In fact, over 70% of blocked Chrome Web Store extensions used obfuscated code.īoth Google and Mozilla also systems in place on their respective web stores that detect malicious extensions and add-ons. This is when developers deliberately hide a software’s true intent by using hard-to-understand or misleading language in their code. Thankfully, Google and Firefox are doing their part to combat this growing problem.įor one, Google has banned extensions that use “obfuscated” code. What’s being done about this growing problem? See, you can have the best security software installed on your machine but all the protection it offers can be bypassed if a malicious extension manages to sneak itself into your browser. Not only that, but extensions can also request access to your clipboard, bookmarks and browsing history, allowing them to create a full profile of your web activity. This sensitive data may include the data on all the websites you visit (banking website, social media sites, messaging sites, etc.). The main thing with extensions that makes them attractive to cybercriminals is the fact that they can be granted permissions to access your web browser’s data. This means that there’s a possibility that a browser extension that you know and trust can be modified later to infect your machine with adware, steal your information or even control your machine remotely. In other cases, hackers break into developer accounts and take over the extensions themselves, injecting their own malicious code in the software. Unscrupulous advertisers and hackers are even trying to buy popular extensions from legitimate developers in order to “monetize” them. Fraudsters are now using them now to exploit your computer resources for their financial gain! How criminals take hold of browser extensionsĪccording to a report from Motherboard, there’s an entire underground market that actively trades browser extensions. Again, like mobile apps, there will always be bad apples among the thousands of extensions available.
– the possibilities are endless.Īnd the similarities don’t end there. Like apps, they are used for a wide variety of purposes – they help you block ads, download content, compare prices while shopping, etc.
No doubt, extensions can enhance your web browsing experience. Click here to read more about Google Chrome extensions. They add extra functionality to your browser and extend its usability beyond your typical web search and browsing activities. Browser extensions are similar to what apps are to your smartphone.
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