Google Chrome users are being urged to clear their browsing data immediately amid a ‘red alert’ warning.
It turns out that if you’re using Google Chrome on your desktop then you might want to check which extensions you have activated and deleted any that could be harmful.
This is because cyber criminals are hacking into users’ Chrome extensions in order to eavesdrop on people’s internet browsing and potentially steal personal information.
According to experts from Koi Security, the scam has already affected a whopping 2.3 million users of both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
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So far, 18 extensions have been identified as having malware, with many of them being disguised as entertainment or productivity aids.
According to Koi Security, this attack on people’s browser extensions is being referred to as RedDirection due to the fact that the malware is being hidden in plain sight.
In order to remove these extensions from your browser, you’ll have to do so manually, even though Google has been removing them from the Chrome store.
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A full list of affected extensions include:
- Unlock Discord (Chrome)
- Dark Theme (Chrome)
- Volume Max (Chrome)
- Unblock TikTok (Chrome)
- Unlock YouTube VPN (Chrome)
- Geco Colorpick (Chrome)
- Weather (Chrome)
- Unlock TikTok (Edge)
- Volume Booster (Edge)
- Web Sound Equalizer (Edge)
- Header Value (Edge)
- Flash Player (Edge)
- YouTube Unblocked (Edge)
- SearchGPT (Edge)
- Unlock Discord (Edge)
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The extensions that have been tampered with include ones for weather forecasts, VPN proxies, YouTube unblockers, video speed controllers, volume boosters, and emoji keyboards.
In order to provide your sensitive data, it has been advised to clear your browsing history as well as deleting the extension.
You should also change any passwords you have inserted into the extension.
In order to remove it from your browser, first you’ll need to head to the browser’s settings, which is usually found in the menu, followed by ‘more tools’ and then ‘extensions’.
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Locate the extension you wish to delete and select ‘remove’ or ‘uninstall’. Afterwards, make sure to restart your browser.
In other tech news, there is a little-known iPhone hack that is being widely shared and it has the potential to massively extend your device’s battery life.
To get a bit more juice out of your iPhone before it dies, all you need to do is make sure to turn it face down when it’s not in your pocket or bag.
Each time your phone lights up the screen, it uses a little bit of power, meaning your device will lose battery power quicker.
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Instead, it’s best to keep the phone face down in order to avoid it.