WhatsApp Warning: Chrome Extensions Hack Your Account for Spam – Uninstall Now!

A cybersecurity expert has compiled a list of 131 Chrome extensions that are actually used to hijack WhatsApp accounts. Once installed, these extensions bypass the messaging app’s anti-spam filters and start sending out mass scams. Here’s how you can spot these harmful extensions.

As the world’s most popular messaging service, WhatsApp frequently becomes a target for malicious hackers using it as a platform to launch spam, phishing, and other harmful campaigns. Despite ongoing efforts by the app to enhance its security measures, these efforts seem insufficient, as demonstrated in a recent report by cybersecurity specialist Kirill Boychenko.

According to Boychenko’s findings, there are currently 131 Chrome extensions in circulation that can allow hackers to take control of your account. These extensions specifically target users of WhatsApp Web. Initially, these extensions pose as customer management tools, which seem particularly useful for businesses that utilize the messaging service. In truth, they contain malicious code designed to spread spam campaigns.

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Quickly Remove These Chrome Extensions That Compromise Your WhatsApp Account

The latest security measures from WhatsApp that aim to mitigate spam risks are ineffective against this threat. The malicious code injected through these extensions can evade these protections by scheduling the sending of numerous messages in advance. Once an extension is installed on a browser, everything happens without the user’s knowledge, leaving them puzzled as to why their account is behaving strangely. According to Kirill Boychenko, these extensions have been downloaded over 20,000 times.

To identify these extensions, simply check the publisher of your installed extensions. Most of the offending extensions have been published by WL Extensão (also spelled WLExtensao). Boychenko has requested Google to remove these extensions from the Chrome Web Store, but until then, it’s wise to check whether you have inadvertently installed one, especially if your business relies on WhatsApp. Fortunately, it appears that the majority of victims are located in Brazil.

Source: Socket