Fake PDF and search tools hijacked searches for 13.4 million Chrome users
2026-10-30T20:51:45Z•61a8c007ddd3a9b429162a187ba82e9199ff44ea5dbbe680e46ab44174dbdfa7
browser-securitychromedata-collectionmalicious-browser-extensionspotentially-unwanted-programprivacy-breachsearch-hijackingsurveillance
What happened
Malwarebytes reports that 319 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as PDF, search, and related tools routed users’ search queries through operator-controlled servers, exposing the searches of approximately 13.4 million users. The campaign represents large-scale browser extension abuse and privacy surveillance, with potential risks including profiling, targeted phishing, and exposure of sensitive queries.
Why it matters
A reviewed impact interpretation has not been published for this record.
Evidence and limitations
- Source ID
- malwarebytes_labs
- Record identifier
- 61a8c007ddd3a9b429162a187ba82e9199ff44ea5dbbe680e46ab44174dbdfa7
- Enrichment time
- 2026-10-30T20:51:45Z
- AI-assisted enrichment
- Yes
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