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Google Pulls Popular Extension for Malware
16 Mar
Summary
- Google disabled the "Save image as Type" extension for over a million users.
- The extension is accused of stealing affiliate commissions, not sensitive data.
- It was previously flagged for similar issues on Microsoft Edge.
- The extension was removed from the Chrome Web Store due to malware.
Google recently disabled the widely used "Save image as Type" Chrome extension, impacting more than one million users. This action was taken after the extension was identified as containing malware. The tool, which simplified saving images as PNG, JPG, or WebP files, has been removed from the Chrome Web Store.
While the extension's specific malicious activities are still under investigation, reports indicate it did not compromise sensitive user data. Instead, analysis by users suggests the extension secretly replaced affiliate codes for online retailers like Amazon with its own, thereby stealing sales commissions. This behavior mirrors issues previously flagged on the Microsoft Edge browser over a year ago.
The "Save image as Type" extension, despite its previously featured status on the Chrome Web Store, had accumulated over 1,700 reviews with a 4.2-star rating. It remains to be seen if the developers will address the malware concerns to potentially have the extension reinstated.
