These 49 malicious chrome web browser extensions were found to be stealing private keys from users’ crypto-wallets. After receiving reports, Google has removed these crypto wallet browser extensions involved in the illegal activity. A security researcher named Harry Denley who is the director of security at Mycrypto managed to find about this illegal activity and revealed the report on Tuesday.
49 fake browser extensions were using malicious codes
According to the report, these chrome extensions were posing to be the legitimate crypto wallet extensions but actually, these were 49 fake browser extensions and were having malicious codes inside them. According to the security director, they used malicious codes in order to steal private keys and important Keystore files.
The security researcher further explains that one person or group which might be “a Russian-based actor” has put these malicious 49 chrome browser extensions together. Adding more to it, the researcher said, “Whilst the extensions all function the same, the branding is different depending on the user they are targeting.”
The security researches identified these 49 chrome extensions in the report.
The list of crypto wallets targeted by the attacker
Harry Denley also identified and revealed in the report the names of crypto wallets that were on the hit list of attackers. In the list of cryptocurrency wallets targeted by the group include Ledger, Trezor, Jaxx, Electrum, Myetherwallet, Metamask, Exodus, and Keepkey.
The most targeted crypto wallet among them was Ledger as the fake browser extensions hit this wallet by 57%. Second to Ledger was Myetherwallet which was targeted by 22%. While on the other hand, Trezor, Electrum, Keepkey, and Jaxx were targeted by 8%, 4%, 4%, and 2% respectively.
However, the researcher’s report claims that they did not steal funds straightforwardly. It apparently seemed that the attacker was after the high-value accounts or the attacker could not automate the thefts. The scammer is still out there and might try again by creating more fake web browser extensions.
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