Browser Extension
Hundreds of fake Chrome VPN extensions route traffic through a proxy
More than 737 browser extensions published on the Chrome Web Store impersonated well-known VPN and proxy services while routing users’ traffic through SOCKS5 proxies operated by a single provider. Some of the extensions impersonated dozens of established brands, including Proton VPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 public domain name system (DNS) resolver. Researchers at […]
Google Chrome may soon block New Tab hijacker extensions by default
Google is preparing a new Chrome security feature that would block policy-installed extensions from hijacking the New Tab page or changing the default search engine. GeekFeed spotted the protection in a chain of work-in-progress Chromium Gerrit changes. It has not shipped yet, but Google plans to enable it by default once the changes are approved. […]
Adobe Chrome extension flaw let sites access private WhatsApp chats
The Adobe Acrobat extension for Chrome could be used to access conversations and data rendered in WhatsApp Web without any form of authentication. The attack exploits a chain of vulnerabilities, collectively tracked as CVE-2026-48294 and dubbed HermeticReader by researchers at cybersecurity firm Guardio. Exploiting them requires only that the target running the Adobe Acrobat extension […]
Claude Chrome extension flaw lets malicious extensions trigger AI actions
A flaw in Anthropic’s Claude for Chrome browser extension could allow a malicious extension to trigger predefined AI actions by simulating user clicks, potentially allowing it to abuse Claude’s access to connected services such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Salesforce. The issue was discovered by Ax Sharma of Manifold Security, who says it […]
Fake Perplexity extension on Chrome Web Store tracked searches
A malicious extension in the Chrome Web Store is masquerading as the Perplexity AI answer engine, intercepting search traffic and collecting browsing information. Called “Search for perplexity ai,” the extension routed search queries and real-time suggestions through its infrastructure before redirecting users to the legitimate search services. Microsoft Threat Intelligence researchers said that the extension […]
Malicious Edge extension abuses Native Messaging as bridge to malware
A malicious Microsoft Edge extension dubbed ‘Edgecution’ has been used in a ransomware attack to escape the browser sandbox and deploy a Python-based backdoor. Access to the local system is obtained by leveraging the Chrome Native Messaging protocol that allows browser extensions to interact with native desktop applications, such as a password manager communicating with […]
Over 100 Chrome Web Store extensions steal user accounts, data
More than 100 malicious extensions in the official Chrome Web Store are attempting to steal Google OAuth2 Bearer tokens, deploy backdoors, and carry out ad fraud. Researchers at application security company Socket discovered that the malicious extensions are part of a coordinated campaign that uses the same command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. The threat actor published the […]
LinkedIn secretly scans for 6,000+ Chrome extensions, collects data
A new report dubbed “BrowserGate” warns that Microsoft’s LinkedIn is using hidden JavaScript scripts on its website to scan visitors’ browsers for installed extensions and collect device data. According to a report by Fairlinked e.V., which claims to be an association of commercial LinkedIn users, Microsoft’s platform injects JavaScript into user sessions that checks for thousands of […]
Fake AI Chrome extensions with 300K users steal credentials, emails
A set of 30 malicious Chrome extensions that have been installed by more than 300,000 users are masquerading as AI assistants to steal credentials, email content, and browsing information. Some of the extensions are still present in the Chrome Web Store and have been installed by tens of thousands of users, while others show a […]
New malware service guarantees phishing extensions on Chrome web store
A new malware-as-a-service (MaaS) called ‘Stanley’ promises malicious Chrome extensions that can clear Google’s review process and publish them to the Chrome Web Store. Researchers at end-to-end data security company Varonis named the project Stanley after the alias of the seller, who advertises easy phishing attacks by intercepting navigation and covering a webpage with an iframe […]