If you're a Google Chrome user you urgently need to check your browser for dodgy extensions.
That's because the boffs at Google have just purged 32 'malicious' browser extensions which have been downloaded by more than 75 million people on the Chrome Web Store.
These dodgy add-ons could be forcing you to look at annoying adverts or, at worse, are injecting 'malicious' links into the websites you view.
READ NEXT: You aren't deleting your search history properly but there is a way to wipe it
Apparently they came fitted with a 'hidden' code that made it difficult for cybersecurity experts to catch them—until now.
The browser extensions, which are a little bit like apps specifically for your browser, include:
- PDF Toolbox
- Autoskip for Youtube
- Soundboost
- Crystal Ad block
- Brisk VPN
- Clipboard Helper
- Crystal Ad block
Even though they're no longer available to download on the Chrome Web Store, they could still be present on your device so you need to check and make sure they're no longer active on your browser.
In a statement, Google told Bleeping Computer: "We take security and privacy claims against extensions seriously, and when we find extensions that violate our policies, we take appropriate action.
"The Chrome Web Store has policies in place to keep users safe that all developers must adhere to."
-
AI's ‘digital brain as dangerous as nukes and should terrify you' insider warns
How to deactivate Chrome extensions
If you think you've got any of the affected extensions or add-ons installed in your browser, you can easily deactivate or uninstall them via the Chrome settings menu.
Just open Google Chrome and then tap More in the top-right corner of your browser window (it looks like three dots).
Then, hit More tools > Extensions.
Look for the extension you want to disable or remove and select the option you want.
This should clear it from your browser and you'll no longer receive dodgy ads.
Source: Read Full Article