Malicious browser extensions pose a serious threat and defenses are lacking

  • 26 September 2013
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Many security products offer inadequate protection against malicious browser extensions, a researcher has found.
The number of malicious browser extensions has significantly increased in the past year but  many security products fail to offer adequate protection against them, while others are simply not designed to do so, according to a security researcher.

Attackers have already used such extensions to perform click fraud by inserting rogue advertisements into websites or by hijacking search queries, but research has shown that this type of malware has the potential to cause much more damage.

Last year Zoltan Balazs, an IT security consultant with professional services firm Deloitte in Hungary, created a proof-of-concept malicious extension that could be controlled remotely by an attacker and could steal authentication credentials, hijack accounts, modify locally displayed Web pages, take screenshots through the computer's webcam, bypass two-factor authentication systems and even download and execute malicious files on a victim's computer.

 
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Good thing we use WSA and it's Idenity Shield!


 
"Isolate untrusted browser add-ons from data Blocks a browser add-on (browser helper object) from stealing data. While most browser add-ons are legitimate, some can display ads, track your Internet activity, or hijack your home page."
 
https://detail.webrootanywhere.com/agenthelp.asp?n=Managing_protected_websites
 
Daniel 😉

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