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You've heard of malicious Android apps, now it's time to delete these malicious Chrome extensions

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By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Jun 05, 2023, 9:10 AM

Google

You've heard of malicious Android apps, now it's time to delete these malicious Chrome extensions

If you're an Android user concerned with your general mobile security and data privacy, you've probably become accustomed to hearing about a new malware-spreading campaign once every couple of weeks or so (if not more often), with each such discovery requiring a thorough review of all apps installed on your phone and the immediate removal of any potentially dangerous or intrusive title.

But Google's Play Store is far from the only online place riddled with security threats, and if you also happen to be a devoted Chrome user on a desktop computer, you need to perform a similar check of all your browser extensions as soon as possible too.

A cybersecurity researcher by the name of Wladimir Palant has found no less than 34 such problematic titles of late, and while Big G took action upon being informed of this discovery (which was subsequently verified by Avast) to delete all the malicious extensions from the official Chrome Web Store, you have to do the same if you're among the 87 million (!!!) "weekly active" users under attack here and remove the following from your computer:

Autoskip for Youtube
Soundboost
Crystal Ad block
Brisk VPN
Clipboard Helper
Maxi Refresher
Quick Translation
Easyview Reader view
PDF toolbox
Epsilon Ad blocker
Craft Cursors
Alfablocker ad blocker
Zoom Plus
Base Image Downloader
Clickish fun cursors
Cursor - A custom cursor
Amazing Dark Mode
Maximum Color Changer for Youtube
Awesome Auto Refresh
Venus Adblock
Adblock Dragon
Readl Reader mode
Volume Frenzy
Image download center
Font Customizer
Easy Undo Closed Tabs
Screence screen recorder
OneCleaner
Repeat button
Leap Video Downloader
Tap Image Downloader
Qspeed Video Speed Controller
HyperVolume
Light picture-in-picture

As some of the names above suggest, many of these Chrome extensions promised and even offered legitimate (and legitimately useful) functionalities. That's obviously what made them so incredibly popular (even though Avast believes that combined 87 million installation tally was somehow artificially inflated), helping them go unnoticed for a long time as they injected your computers with unwanted ads and altered search results.

That may not sound as serious as your everyday Android banking trojan, spyware, or fleeceware, but left unattended for too long, a malicious ad-spreading piece of software like these can definitely become... annoying if not very dangerous. Given that there are plenty of "clean" alternatives to all the insidious extensions on this here list, you have no sensible reason to keep them up and running.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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