Google has removed more than 24 malicious Chrome extensions from the official Chrome Web Store. These extensions were installed more than 75 million times by Chrome users, who should remove them from their browsers immediately.
Wladimir Palant he found malicious extensions and published information about them on the Almost Secure blog. Palant reported a total of 34 malicious extensions to Google, but Google did not immediately remove the extensions.
Avast confirmed the findings and Google pulled the extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Palant mentioned in a subsequent post that these were not all malicious extensions. A total of 8 were not removed by Google as they were added later by Palant and thus were not included in Avast's list.
Many of the extensions had millions of users, such as Autoskip for YouTube which had a weekly active user count of over 9 million.
Extensions discovered by Palant involve video downloaders, others that allow users to interact with video or audio, add visual changes, or claim to block ads.
The main problem for Chrome users is that removing extensions from the Chrome Web Store does not remove them from the end user's browser.
Here is the list of malicious extensions:
| Name | Weekly Active users | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Autoskip for Youtube | 9,008,298 | lgjdgmdbfhobkdbcjnpnlmhnplnidkkp |
| soundboost | 6,925,522 | chmfnmjfghjpdamlofhlonnnnokkpbao |
| Crystal Adblock | 6,869,278 | lklmhefoneonjalpjcnhaidnodopinib |
| Brisk VPN | 5,595,420 | ciifcakemmcbbdpmljdohdmbodagmala |
| Clipboard Helper | 3,499,233 | meljmedplehjlnnaempfdoecookjenph |
| Maxi Refresher | 3,483,639 | lipmdblppejomolopniipdjlpfjcojob |
| Quick Translation | 2,797,773 | lmcboojgmmaafdmgacncdpjnpnnhpmei |
| Easyview Reader view | 2,786,137 | icnekagcncdgpdnpoecofjinkplbnocm |
| PDF toolbox | 2,782,790 | bahogceckgcanpcoabcdgmoidngedmfo |
| Epsilon Ad blocker | 2,571,050 | bkpdalonclochcahhipekbnedhklcdnp |
| Craft Cursors | 2,437,224 | magnkhldhhgdlhikeighmhlhonpmlolk |
| Alfablocker ad blocker | 2,430,636 | edadmcnnkkkgmofibeehgaffppadbnbi |
| Zoom Plus | 2,370,645 | ajneghihjbebmnljfhlpdmjjpifeaokc |
| Base Image Downloader | 2,366,136 | nadenkhojomjfdcppbhhncbfakfjiabp |
| Clickish fun cursors | 2,353,436 | pbdpfhmbdldfoioggnphkiocpidecmbp |
| Cursor - A custom cursor | 2,237,147 | hdgdghnfcappcodemanhafioghjhlbpb |
| Amazing Dark Mode | 2,228,049 | fbjfihoienmhbjflbobnmimfijpngkpa |
| Maximum Color Changer for Youtube | 2,226,293 | kjeffohcijbnlkgoaibmdcfconakaajm |
| Awesome Auto refresh | 2,222,284 | djmpbcihmblfdlkcfncodakgopmpgpgh |
| Venus Adblock | 1,973,783 | obeokabcpoilgegepbhlcleanmpgkhcp |
| Adblock Dragon | 1,967,202 | mcmdolplhpeopapnlpbjceoofpgmkahc |
| Readl Reader mode | 1,852,707 | dppnhoaonckcimpejpjodcdoenfjleme |
| Volume Frenzy | 1,626,760 | idgncaddojiejegdmkofblgplkgmeipk |
| Image download center | 1,493,741 | deebfeldnfhemlnidojiiidadkgnglpi |
| Font Customizer | 1,471,726 | gfbgiekofllpkpaoadjhbbfnljbcimoh |
| Easy Undo Closed Tabs | 1,460,691 | pbebadpeajadcmaoofljnnfgofehnpeo |
| Screence screen recorder | 1,459,488 | flmihfcdcgigpfcfjpdcniidbfnffdcf |
| OneCleaner | 1,457,548 | pinnfpbbjancnbidnnhpemakncopaega |
| repeat button | 1,456,013 | iicpikopjmmincpjkckdngpkmlcchold |
| Leap Video Downloader | 1,454,917 | bjlcpoknpgaoaollojjdnbdojdclidkh |
| Tap Image Downloader | 1,451,822 | okclicinnbnfkgchommiamjnkjcibfid |
| Qspeed Video Speed Controller | 732,250 | pcjmcnhpobkjnhajhhleejfmpeoahclc |
| HyperVolume | 592,479 | hinhmojdkodmficpockledafoeodokmc |
| Light picture-in-picture | 172,931 | gcnceeflimggoamelclcbhcdggcmnglm |
