Beware! Google Chrome has had extensions that spread spyware for two years

A threat actor known as ShadyPanda has been linked to a browser extension campaign that has accumulated over 4.3 million installations over seven years. According to a report by Koi Security, five of these extensions, which were legitimate in their early days, were modified in mid-2024, attracting up to 300,000 installations before being removed from the stores. We sell you spyware! These extensions now run code remotely, allowing for the download and execution of arbitrary JavaScript with full access to the browser. According to security researcher Tuval Admoni, these tools monitor every […]

A threat actor known as ShadyPanda has been linked to a browser extension campaign that has amassed over 4.3 million installations over seven years. According to a report by Koi Security, five of these extensions, which were legitimate in their early days, were modified in mid-2024, attracting up to 300,000 installations before being removed from the stores.

We sell you spyware!

These extensions now execute code remotely, allowing arbitrary JavaScript to be downloaded and run with full access to the browser. According to security researcher Tuval Admoni, these tools monitor every visit and exfiltrate browsing history, in addition to collecting users’ browser fingerprints. Some extensions covertly inject tracking codes when visiting popular sites like eBay and Amazon, generating illicit commissions from users’ purchases.

The situation worsened when, in 2024, the attack evolved to include active control of the browser by redirecting search queries and exfiltrating cookies from specific domains. Extensions can also carry out ‘man-in-the-middle’ attacks, facilitating credential theft and code injection on websites.

Although the malicious activity was first observed in 2023, when 20 extensions were published in the Chrome Web Store and 125 in Microsoft Edge, the manipulation of these programs suggests a systematic exploitation of vulnerabilities that has persisted for years. Koi Security warns users who have installed these extensions to remove them immediately and rotate their credentials, as the auto-update mechanism, designed to maintain security, has become an attack vector.

The story of ShadyPanda highlights the need for more rigorous oversight of browser extensions, as marketplaces review applications at the time of submission but do not monitor their behavior after approval.

A malicious Chrome extension redirects cryptocurrency exchange platforms

A new finding in the field of cybersecurity has revealed the existence of a malicious extension in the Chrome Web Store, called Crypto Copilot. This tool allows for the injection of a hidden transfer of Solana in exchange transactions, redirecting funds to a wallet controlled by the attackers, which raises serious concerns about user security in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Be careful if you use cryptocurrencies The extension, published by a user under the pseudonym ‘sjclark76’, has achieved 12 installations and remains available for download. According to security researchers, Crypto Copilot presents a legitimate facade by offering […]

A new finding in the field of cybersecurity has revealed the existence of a malicious extension in the Chrome Web Store, called Crypto Copilot. This tool allows for the injection of a hidden transfer of Solana in exchange transactions, redirecting funds to a wallet controlled by the attackers, raising serious concerns about user security in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Be Careful if You Use Cryptocurrencies

The extension, published by a user under the pseudonym ‘sjclark76’, has achieved 12 installations and remains available for download. According to security researchers, Crypto Copilot presents a legitimate facade by offering users the ability to trade crypto directly on X with real-time information and seamless execution. However, behind this interface, there is malicious behavior that is triggered when trading on Raydium, a decentralized exchange based on the Solana blockchain.

The extension’s code is obfuscated to avoid detection and manipulates the process by adding an additional transfer of SOL each time a user signs a transaction. This additional transfer charges a minimum of 0.0013 SOL or 0.05% of the exchanged amount, with the money diverted to a hardcoded wallet in the extension’s code. Users may not realize this hidden transfer unless they review each instruction before signing.

Despite the fact that Crypto Copilot is presented as a useful tool that makes use of legitimate services like DexScreener and Helius RPC, its goal seems to be solely to perpetuate fraud at the expense of unsuspecting users. This type of attack highlights the need for constant vigilance in the use of digital tools in the cryptocurrency space.

Google Chrome is now daring to make our lives easier

Google has expanded the autocomplete features in its Chrome browser, adding the ability to automatically fill in essential document data, such as driver’s license and passport numbers, as well as vehicle-related information, including the vehicle identification number (VIN). This update aims not only to improve the user experience but also to save time when managing online forms. In a recent blog post, Google explained that with this new functionality, Chrome is now able to automatically fill in passport and driver’s license numbers for desktop users who have enabled […]

Google has expanded the autocomplete features in its Chrome browser, adding the ability to automatically fill in essential document data, such as driver’s license and passport numbers, as well as vehicle-related information, including the vehicle identification number (VIN). This update aims not only to enhance the user experience but also to save time when managing online forms.

In a recent blog post, Google explained that, with this new feature, Chrome is now able to automatically fill in passport and driver’s license numbers for desktop users who have the enhanced autocomplete option enabled.

In addition, the tool promises to better understand complex forms and various formats, significantly improving accuracy across the web.

And they promise that the information will be encrypted and secure

The company guarantees that the use of these capabilities will be safe and private. When entering relevant information in a form, Chrome will save this data only with the user’s permission and will protect it through encryption. Before automatically completing any saved data, the browser will ask for the user’s confirmation, thus ensuring that they have full control over their information.

The updates are now available globally in all languages, and Google has promised that it plans to add even more types of data in the coming months.

While the company has not detailed what the new types of supported data will be, there is a possibility that it will expand to other documents or identifications, which could further simplify the browsing experience and the management of online forms.

Users are invited to share their opinions and suggestions on what information they would like to see added to this autocomplete service, which could influence future updates of Chrome.

The serious dangers that lurk behind Chrome and Edge extensions

Researchers from Koi Security have identified 18 extensions in the Chrome and Edge browsers that, under the guise of productivity and entertainment tools, are actually malicious. These extensions carefully disguise themselves to deceive users, raising significant concerns about online security. Suspect everything The researchers warn that users, when installing these extensions, could be exposing themselves to various security risks. These applications can collect sensitive data, steal personal information, or even inject unwanted ads into the user’s browsing. In a digital environment where privacy is a precious commodity, […]

Researchers from Koi Security have identified 18 extensions in the Chrome and Edge browsers that, under the guise of productivity and entertainment tools, are actually malicious. These extensions carefully disguise themselves to deceive users, raising significant concerns about online security.

Suspicion of everything

Researchers warn that users, when installing these extensions, could be exposing themselves to various security risks. These applications can collect sensitive data, steal personal information, or even inject unwanted ads into the user’s browsing experience. In a digital environment where privacy is a precious commodity, the emergence of such threats underscores the need for greater vigilance when downloading browser add-ons.

The identified extensions include tools that promise to facilitate everyday tasks, such as password management or enhancing the video viewing experience. However, upon further investigation, Koi Security experts discovered that these applications are designed to carry out malicious activities without the user’s knowledge. The presence of such extensions highlights the urgency of promoting a more robust education about online security among users.

This situation is not new; however, there are now more sophisticated patterns in the way cyber threats are camouflaged. It is essential for users to stay alert and verify the legitimacy of the extensions they wish to install. Additionally, it is recommended to use cybersecurity tools and stay informed about the latest research and recommendations in cybersecurity.

Experts emphasize the importance of reporting and uninstalling any suspicious extensions, as well as always keeping browsers updated to protect against potential vulnerabilities. In a constantly changing digital landscape, caution and knowledge are the best defenses against malicious software.

Google asks Trump to reverse the order to sell Google Chrome

Google is urging officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, to abandon their crusade against the company, a crusade that involved forcing them to sell their Chrome browser. And they claim it is for national security. According to sources close to the discussions, representatives from Alphabet Inc. met with the government last week to advocate for a less aggressive approach while awaiting a court resolution on what a judge has described as an illegal monopoly in online search. The Biden administration, in November, asked Google […]

Google is urging officials from the United States Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, to abandon their crusade against the company, a crusade that involved forcing them to sell their Chrome browser. And they claim it is for national security.

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According to sources close to the discussions, representatives of Alphabet Inc. met last week with the government to advocate for a less aggressive approach while awaiting a court ruling on what a judge has described as illegal monopoly in online search.

The Biden administration in November asked Google to sell its Chrome browser and adopt other changes to its business structure, including ending exclusivity payments to companies like Apple.

Google does not want to get rid of its golden goose

Despite Google’s previous opposition to this plan, recent discussions may reflect its current strategy in the case that is progressing under the Trump administration.

Peter Schottenfels, spokesperson for Google, stated that the company is concerned about how the current proposals from the Department of Justice could harm the U.S. economy and national security.

This argument is not new for Google, which has expressed similar concerns in response to antitrust pressure from regulators and lawmakers.

District Judge Amit Mehta, who has been asked to make decisions regarding Google’s future practices in hearings scheduled for next month, will review the latest proposals from both parties.

Among the demands of the Department of Justice is the sale of the Chrome browser and the restriction of investments in artificial intelligence companies, which has raised concerns in the tech sector.

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With the recent nomination of Gail Slater to lead the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, key decisions are expected to be made in the coming weeks regarding the direction of the case and the potential implications for Google and the tech landscape in the United States.

Google Chrome updates and improves its address bar with machine learning.

Google Chrome has received a new update and among its improvements, we have found one that may be of great interest to users of this browser. To be exact, the main improvement brought by this update (M124) is the one that affects its address bar, called Omnibox by the Mountain View company, and therefore, to all of us who use it in our daily lives.

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The way this is going to experience a substantial improvement is by making its users receive better recommendations through machine learning. In this way, we should start receiving more appropriate recommendations for what we need and search for. This novelty replaces the algorithms that the mentioned Chrome address bar used until now to offer its recommendations.

Google Chrome’s address bar suggestions are about to change forever

The previous operation of this Omnibox to display its recommendations was to use algorithms, which assigned scores to each recommendation, but this method is outdated for modern needs, according to the developers themselves. Therefore, this is the reason why the recommendations themselves have not changed for quite some time and what has led to the implementation of these machine learning models.

However, the scoring system remains, but with this new update, the score is reduced or increased based on the user’s actions, which will make Omnibox offer us more accurate and appropriate recommendations. In other words, now Google can “collect more recent signals, retrain, evaluate, and implement new models periodically over time,” as they indicate in their statement on the official Chromium blog.

The operation of this new method can be explained simply with this example: if we type in the address bar and enter a recommended address, but then immediately click on the bar again, Chrome will be aware that this page was not the one we were looking for and will lower its score. Therefore, that suggestion will appear further down in the recommendations, reaching a point where it may not even appear if its score is very low.

They have also talked about the future and the potential that this new method of machine learning has. For example, Chrome developers indicate that, possibly, in the future they will be able to “potentially incorporate new signals, such as differentiating between the time of day to improve relevance” so that we can have even more accurate recommendations. In addition, it is also indicated that they want to “explore training specialized versions of the model for particular environments: for example, mobile, business or academic users, or perhaps different locations”.

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This new machine learning system for the Google Chrome address bar should already be active, as long as you have the latest version of the browser from Mountain View. If you don’t see any changes, we assume it’s just a matter of time before you start noticing the changes in your recommendations.

Chrome will finally improve the rendering of its texts

Google Chrome, the browser designed by the powerful Californian company, will be able to improve the rendering of its texts thanks to an old Microsoft improvement. Thanks to this improvement, Chrome’s texts will have better contrast, more accurate definition and resolution with respect to the idea of the font on which each text is based, and will also have details such as much more precise gamma.

Text is the most important source of information in history, and thanks to it, as a civilization, we have been able to advance by leaps and bounds. The internet is also built around text, and everything we read in our browser is part of it. Therefore, the improvements in text rendering in Google Chrome are good news for the hundreds of millions of users who use this browser daily.

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Chrome and its rendering

As indicated by Neowin, the text rendering of Google Chrome will be improved thanks to an enhancement by Microsoft based on an update that the company made in Edge in 2021. With this, multiple text elements will be displayed with better quality, aligning with the text quality that the Microsoft browser has had for three years.

In this way, Google Chrome will finally correct one of the aspects that has been most criticized in recent years, since, unlike other browsers, in this area they have been stagnant for years without offering improvements to users. Now, thanks to Microsoft, Chrome will take an important qualitative leap in text rendering and will align itself with its competition in terms of quality.

Other improvements of the Google browser

Google Chrome is constantly working to stay as the most popular browser in the world, a dominant position it achieved mainly by conquering the world of smartphones through its Android operating system. However, it also maintains a strong number of users in browsers, where, before the rise of responsive browsing, Google was already the most popular browser.

Now, among other changes, Chrome wants to experiment to carry out one of the changes that could change the functioning of the Internet as we know it today. And how do they intend to do it? By permanently eliminating third-party cookies, using alternative data collection methods that are less aggressive to users and much less annoying to carry out a satisfactory browsing.

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Google Chrome takes a new leap in efficiency and security

Google Chrome, the most used browser in the world, has once again improved the quality of the services and features it offers thanks to the new update that the company has carried out on its browser. Now, thanks to these changes, the user will have a better security adjustment and general improvements in the efficiency of the service that Google offers.

As usual, Google is working on providing users with qualitative improvements that allow offering a much more satisfying experience in general. In this case, it may not be a major change, but those who enjoy managing all kinds of data from settings will positively appreciate the new changes that have been implemented recently.

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New patch with improvements

This patch, as Google explains in its blog, will allow users to have much more accurate information in terms of performance and security. For example, it will be much easier to manage information related to the resources and effort that the CPU makes to process Chrome’s commands, something that will allow making more appropriate decisions thanks to having better data.

On the other hand, the Safety Check tab will allow you to globally manage all notifications that are activated in the desktop version of Google Chrome in order to manage them at will. This way, the user, once again, will enjoy a better experience browsing and managing the settings of the most used browser in the world.

Chrome dominates the browser market and has hundreds of millions of daily users

The user at the center for Google

Google is updating many applications with a clear roadmap in mind: they want users to have full control over the information the company collects from them in order to manage it, and even delete it if desired, with facilities provided by the brand itself through these changes. In this way, these improvements in privacy and security are also an exercise in transparency.

In other services like Google Maps, similar changes have been made, giving the user the option to store the information of their geographical movements only on the device that accompanies them, and having the possibility to reduce the time period that Google records these movements. In this way, limiting the information that the user allows Google to have, the new reactions to Google’s improvements are more than positive.

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