Guides & Tutorials · VIDEO
How to protect yourself from Chrome extensions that steal your searches
Discover how to identify and remove Chrome extensions that intercept your searches, redirecting them through controlled servers to earn advertising commissions. Learn to protect your privacy and avoid phishing risks.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 319 Chrome extensions with 13.4 million installations intercepted user searches
- The extensions exploited a legitimate Chrome setting to redirect queries
- Some extensions could redirect to phishing sites or pages with dangerous downloads
- Find out how to check for and remove harmful extensions from your browser
Transcript
"Attention Chrome users, beware of 'search hijacking' extensions that may be intercepting your online searches. These extensions redirect your queries through servers controlled by developers for advertising purposes, adding trackers and generating commissions from search engines like Bing or Yahoo. The insidious part? They don't visibly alter your search results, making them difficult to detect.
To check and remove suspicious extensions, first, click on the three-dot menu at the top right of your browser window. From the dropdown menu, select 'Extensions', then 'Manage extensions'. Examine the list of installed extensions and remove any you don't recognize or no longer use. Remember, only install extensions from the official Chrome Web Store and avoid clicking on ads promoting extensions.
These extensions exploit a legitimate Chrome setting called 'chrome settings override', allowing them to change the default search engine without running suspicious scripts. To protect your online privacy and security, be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers or suspicious free extensions.
This guide is based on independent research and analysis for informational purposes. Always inform yourself autonomously before making any decisions, especially in the crypto sector where every investment involves risks."
