Beware Malicious Chrome Extensions!

(Note: If you use Windows 10 or 11 Pro, the batch file will probably erase all policy settings you've changed)

▼ Time Stamps: ▼
0:00 - Intro
1:12 - Where Do They Come From?
1:18 - Chrome Web Store
2:18 - A Very Excellent Thing
3:49 - Installed by Malware
5:59 - Side-Loaded
6:29 - Types of Malicious Extensions
8:31 - Ways to Avoid Them
9:09 - Web Store Badges
10:30 - Reviews and Extension Age
10:58 - Check the Website
11:51 - Chrome Enhanced Protection
12:48 - How to Remove Them
13:19 - Removing Management Policies
14:52 - Task Scheduler
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[OpulentPomegranate]

I will never forget during the peak of lockdown, my college gave us a bunch of extensions to download. A student asked if there was an alternative to some of them since they didn't seem that secure. The DEAN responded that "you can't get a virus from a chrome extension"

[Cosine_Wave]

There have also been cases where a popular extension was sold to someone, and the buyer put subtle malware on it. It was "Unseen Facebook" or something like that.

[anon_y_mousse]

This is why we need browsers to actually implement the features we want so we don't even need plugins or extensions or addons or whatever name you want to use to refer to these things. They slow down your browsing experience and leave you less secure.

[RoboChemist]

When you uninstall a malicious extension, make sure to check the "report abuse" button in the uninstaller window that pops up! This is probably the fastest way to get it removed from the store

[GameIT.]

No need to worry cuz we got
Theo keeping us safe by raising awareness about them 😎

[linuxMaggott]

This video brings back memories of MS Internet Explorer being plagued with browser hijackers and web re-directors to weird search sites and malware sites that's why back then I switched to Netscape Navigator and still use its predecessor Firefox.

[roxy.migurdia.]

Thank you so much for helping all the people about these extensions!❤❤❤

[oliviadrinkwine]

Another awesome way is just don't go overboard with extensions (for example I have ublock origin and bitwarden only) I may add more as the need arises but just like ThioJoe said I vet them before hand and make sure they come from a trusted source that I've actually have heard of.

[Tibasu]

Really hope more people find your videos about malicious programs because I still have people tell me that as long as you don't click on ads you can't get a virus...

[SirenGlitch]

Seeing this made me think immediately: Can you make an up-to-date video on the chrome extensions you use and what ones you recommend? I know you've done one before but it was a long time ago

[affyne]

imagine if Guardio extension itself starts doing nasty stuff in the background while protecting you from "other" malicious sources, that would be hilarious

[robuxtrex]

i always have to manually check the source code of the local files to ensure nothing fishy is going on... you know

[ThePowerRanger]

This was very intresting, keep'em coming.

[johngoard]

Good video Joe and I am lucky in that my Eset Smart Security I have on all my machines does have an anti bad extensions which blocks and/or deletes these wretched extensions.

[techydanish]

Theo you are really helping us to use windows safely ❤

[atroney]

there was one extension that i couldnt turn off its called "Mammalia". i couldnt find ANY info on it anywhere, i had to uninstall google chrome and reinstall it in order to remove it. does anyone know what mammalia is?

[OMGgmr]

With task scheduler you can sometimes see the first date it got triggered which may be a good thing to look out for. Seems to not show on all tasks though.

[MyAmazingUsername]

Beware: Auditing the source doesn't help WHATSOEVER. I audited the most popular Cookie extension for Chrome. Totally clean code. Suddenly, it began sending all your cookies to the author, silently, in an update. It kept doing that for weeks until someone noticed and I received an alert that the extension had been disabled and removed from the store by Chrome.

[musikrausch]

A good way to counter this (at least it would help the user keeping himself safer) would be to require the user to give the necessary permissions to addons. Like, if a theme based addon requires access to your keyboard inputs and cookies, it would already be pretty suspicious.

[mb]

Some people are really hoping that you do one of your totally awesome videos about searchlab, I notice how you had the beaker on your Google Chrome browser. That thing just popped up out of nowhere