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Introduction:
A troubling cybersecurity threat has emerged from the Chrome Web Store, as over 40 malicious extensions have been discovered impersonating trusted brands. These deceptive tools are part of coordinated phishing campaigns aimed at stealing sensitive information from users. Even more alarming, many of these extensions remain active and available for download, slipping past Google’s security mechanisms. Armed with AI, the attackers have scaled their operations with alarming efficiency, putting both individuals and enterprises at serious risk. Here’s everything you need to know about this evolving browser-based threat.
Over 40 Chrome browser extensions have been flagged as malicious by security experts at LayerX, following an alert from the DomainTools Intelligence (DTI) team. These extensions, still live in many cases, are part of at least three major phishing campaigns and are actively harvesting sensitive user information. The attackers disguise these malicious tools by mimicking widely used services like Fortinet’s FortiVPN, DeepSeek AI, Calendly, and DeBank, among others. To appear legitimate, they adopt branding techniques such as lookalike domains (e.g., calendlydaily[.]world) and custom publisher emails that match the brand they impersonate.
The malicious infrastructure was thoroughly mapped by LayerX, which linked suspicious domains with Chrome extension metadata to expose the full operation. The attackers utilize AI to mass-generate extension listings that share a uniform structure and language, enabling rapid deployment of multiple variants with minimal human effort. This tactic has enabled the phishing campaigns to scale and spread widely across the Chrome ecosystem.
These extensions request excessive permissions that grant them persistent access to browser data. Once installed, they can steal personal and corporate credentials, access authentication tokens, and even remain active after being removed from the Chrome Store. This persistence creates a backdoor for attackers, allowing them to infiltrate private systems or internal business environments unnoticed.
To combat this, experts recommend a multi-layered approach to browser security. Organizations should strictly control what extensions are allowed, regularly audit installed add-ons, and immediately uninstall anything identified as suspicious. In response to the threat, LayerX has launched a browser security platform that proactively identifies and blocks harmful extensions while enforcing detailed security policies.
Among the flagged extensions are FortiVPN (forti-vpn[.]com), Manus AI (manusai[.]sbs), Site Stats (sitestats[.]world), and various fake Calendly tools. These are not isolated cases but part of a broader, AI-fueled ecosystem that exploits trust in well-known services.
What Undercode Say:
The rise of AI-driven phishing campaigns via Chrome extensions is a critical moment in browser security history. For years, browser extensions have operated in a loosely monitored gray zone — essential for productivity but largely underregulated. This latest campaign exposes how easily attackers can manipulate that space to infiltrate users’ systems.
The use of AI not only boosts the speed and scale of malicious development but also introduces uniformity, making these tools hard to distinguish from legitimate ones. With consistent formatting and convincing promotional text, these extensions blend seamlessly into the Chrome Store, tricking even tech-savvy users. That’s the real threat — this isn’t amateur malware. It’s professionally packaged deception.
Corporate environments are especially vulnerable. Employees often install productivity tools or AI assistants without IT oversight. A single compromised extension could leak authentication credentials or internal data, creating an entry point for attackers to pivot through networks.
Google’s reactive removal policies aren’t enough. Even after removal, the extensions remain active unless users uninstall them manually. This highlights a systemic issue — the browser store model lacks sufficient post-installation controls and real-time monitoring.
Organizations need to start treating browser extensions as full-fledged software components, not harmless add-ons. Zero-trust policies should extend to browser environments, where only pre-approved extensions are allowed and all third-party activity is monitored.
LayerX’s automated security platform is a step in the right direction, but broad adoption of browser governance tools is crucial. Furthermore, Google must improve the vetting process for new extensions and enhance automatic detection capabilities, especially with AI tools being misused for malicious creation.
Users, too, need to adopt a more skeptical approach. An extension promising advanced functionality for free should raise red flags — especially when it asks for deep access to browser activity.
The takeaway? This isn’t just a malware campaign. It’s a wake-up call. As AI evolves, the threat landscape expands. The tools we trust every day — like our browsers — are becoming battlegrounds for sophisticated digital attacks. And without smarter policies and tighter controls, we’re all at risk of being outmaneuvered by smarter, faster, and more deceptive adversaries.
Fact Checker Results ✅
🔍 Over 40 malicious Chrome extensions were confirmed by multiple cybersecurity sources.
🛑 These extensions remain active and continue to pose a threat even after removal from the Chrome Store.
🤖 The use of AI in scaling phishing campaigns has been independently validated and is a growing concern.
Prediction 📡
As browser extensions become a prime target for cybercriminals, we’re likely to see a tightening of store regulations and a rise in enterprise browser security solutions. Expect more attacks driven by AI-generated tools, but also more sophisticated detection mechanisms powered by the same technology. Within the next 12 months, browser-based zero-trust models may become a standard feature for enterprise cybersecurity strategies.
References:
Reported By: cyberpress.org
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