So I decided to fork it and remove all malware, analytics, etc." "I was using it until 2013 when it got sold to one of these bad actors and had malware added to it. "Many years ago there was a Chrome extension called simply Hover Zoom," said Anashkin. That original add-on has now been removed from the Chrome store. Indeed, in 2014, Anashkin forked the original Hover Zoom, an extension for zooming in on images, because the developer transferred ownership, and whoever took control of the code base turned it toward data gathering. Chrome Web Store slammed again after 295 ad-injecting, spammy extensions downloaded 80 million times.What happens when a Chrome extension with 2m+ users changes hands, raises red flags, doesn't document updates? Let's find out.Chrome extensions are 'the new rootkit' say researchers.I realize that not everyone has the same financial security so hopefully this thread would shed some light on what kind of pressure is put on extension developers." "I'm fortunate to have a job that pays well enough to allow me to keep my moral compass and ignore all of these propositions. "Actors who want to purchase it outright will stuff it with malware depending on their level of greed: hijacking affiliate links, tampering with search results, showing popups with shady websites, etc."Īnashkin, who began documenting these solicitations on GitHub two years ago, at the time explained, "The main reason I continue to maintain this extension is because I can hardly trust others to not fall for one of these offers. "Actors who are asking me to add some tracking code are mostly interested in reselling users' data," Anashkin said. Those who want to purchase it outright will stuff it with malware depending on their level of greed For those using extensions that are sold on to unscrupulous people, though, it can be very bad news: those users probably won't even realize their favorite add-on has been quietly updated to harvest their info from their browsing, make money from clicks on links via affiliate programs, or worse. That's good news for fans of Hover Zoom+. The details of these proposals vary, Anashkin explained in an email to The Register.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |