More than 37,000 Google Chrome users have installed a fake AdBlock Plus extension. The malicious extension, which posed as the popular AdBlock Plus ad blocker but forcibly opened new tabs to show ads to users, has been removed from the Chrome Web Store. Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust commented below.
Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust:
“While the magnitude of this incident is large, the concept of fake plugins, extensions, and apps are nothing new when it comes to the world of cybercrime. This incident, like many other cybercrimes, is a direct result of website and app store operators not fully vetting their direct and indirect vendors. And with its scale of operation, Google especially needs to be vigilant about its digital assets and properties, since the consequences of any oversight are much larger.”
