Chrome, Google's browser for surfing the web, has been exploited for "a massive spyware operation", that is, a cyber attack in which software is used that collects information about people's online activity without their knowledge. Reuters writes it online citing a report by the cybersecurity company Awake Security.
Cybercriminals used extensions from Chrome, by far the most widely used browser in the world with a global market share of around two thirds (64%). These extensions, downloaded 32 million times, appeared on paper as free tools for normal activities, for example to convert a file from one format to another. In reality, they were spyware that could steal your browsing history and credentials to access internal business tools.
Google explained to Reuters that it removed seventy of these extensions from the official Chrome store last month after being warned by security experts.