500 malware extensions in Chrome browser deleted

Around 500 Google Chrome browser extensions, which were found to be secretly uploading private browsing data to servers controlled by hackers, have now been deleted.

The browser extensions, which were downloaded millions of times from Google’s Chrome Web Store, further routed victims’ browsing data to malware-laced websites, according to independent news site Threatpost.

According to researchers cited in the Threatpost report, the malicious extensions were a part of a malvertising campaign that harvested browser data.

Malvertising campaigns are used to further fraudulent activity, including data exfiltration, phishing or ad fraud. In this case, hackers were redirecting victims from legitimate online ad streams to pages laced with viruses and malware.