It’s important to exercise caution when installing any kind of software on your computer, including browser extensions. A recent report from security research firm Guardio Labs has highlighted the proliferation of a malware-ridden Chrome extension that has been downloaded over a million times. Dubbed “Dormant Colors,” this adware has been found in 30 different extensions available on both the Chrome Web Store and Microsoft’s Edge Add-ons repository.
The extensions, which have now been removed from the stores, inject advertising into search results and can also append affiliate links to shopping websites, earning the developers revenue through legitimate affiliate programs. There is also the possibility that the extensions could redirect users to phishing pages in an attempt to steal login information, although this has not yet been observed.
It’s crucial to be vigilant when installing browser extensions, particularly if you’re downloading them from unfamiliar sources. Make sure to double check the source and keep an active anti-virus running to protect yourself from potentially harmful extensions. The following extensions, which are known to be compromised, should be removed immediately:
- Action Colors
- Background Colors
- Border Colors
- Change Color
- Colors Mode
- Colors Scale
- Dood Colors
- Get Colors
- Hex Colors
- Imginfo
- Mega Colors
- Mix Colors
- More Styles
- Nino Colors
- Power Colors
- Refrech Color [sic]
- Single Color
- Soft View
- Style Flex
- Super Colors
- WebPage Colors
- What Color
- Xer Colors
It’s worth noting that the developers of these compromised extensions could easily create new accounts and re-upload them, so it’s important to remain vigilant. Protect yourself and your computer by being cautious when installing any kind of software, including browser extensions.
