These Chrome Extensions Look Helpful — But They Could Secretly Steal Your Work Accounts
Cybersecurity experts have discovered five harmful Google Chrome extensions that were pretending to be useful tools but were actually designed to steal access to work accounts. These extensions were made to look like tools for popular business systems used by companies for human resources and finance tasks. Because they appeared legitimate, users could easily install them without realizing the danger.
Once installed, these extensions secretly carried out harmful actions in the background. They were able to steal login information stored in the browser, interfere with security tools, and allow attackers to take control of accounts without needing passwords. This means hackers could access accounts as if they were the real user, without raising immediate suspicion.
The five malicious extensions identified were called DataByCloud Access, Tool Access 11, DataByCloud 1, DataByCloud 2, and Software Access. While most of these have been removed from the Chrome Web Store, some may still exist on other websites, which means people could still come across them.
These fake extensions were especially dangerous because they targeted systems commonly used by businesses. Even a small number of compromised accounts could lead to serious problems for a company, including data theft or unauthorized changes to important systems.
If someone believes they may have installed one of these extensions, they should remove it immediately, change their passwords, and check their accounts for unusual activity. To stay safe in the future, it’s best to only install browser extensions from trusted sources and carefully review what permissions an extension asks for before installing it.
