If Your Computer Has One Of These Malicious Extensions, Remove Them Immediately

Dhir Acharya - Dec 21, 2020

Extensions on web browsers help you do a lot of things. However, like any other software, the extension you install may contain malware.

If you want to block ads or search for a product, you will need extensions on your web browsers. All you have to do is downloading them from the extension store of your web browser and your problems will be solved quickly. There’s one problem, however, like any other software, the extension you install may contain malware.

In fact, cybersecurity researchers at Avast have found at least 28 extensions in third-party web browsers. According to the cybersecurity company, the discovered malicious extensions were mostly found in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

These extensions can redirect the user to advertising sites or scamming sites, which will steal their personal information like date of birth, email address, and the device in use. They can quietly get into computers by disguising as a video downloader for websites like Vimeo, Instagram, as well as other sites.

Malicious extensions are obvious threats as Avast suspects there are about 3 million users affected by malware from these extensions. They may have become targets and attacked for profits.

The redirection from the browser to another website and ads can benefit anyone behind the malware. In addition, these extensions may have been in operation since 2018 though Avast just found out about them this November.

Jan Rubín, a malware researcher at Avast, said that malware is embedded in extensions and hidden quite well. They only start to reveal their real identity a few days after the installation, making it extremely hard to discover.

As of now, the malicious extensions remain available for download in extension stores of Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. However, both tech giants are said to be investigating these extensions and will soon come up with a solution.

If you have installed one of the extensions listed in this post, you’d better uninstall them immediately until Avast, Microsoft, or Google has new announcements.