PSA: Don’t trust that Chrome update popup — it could be malware
A suspicious extension appears to be triggering convincing fake browser update warnings.
A recent surge in persistent pop-up messages urging users to update their Google Chrome browser may actually be a form of malware, according to cybersecurity experts. The deceptive pop-ups are thought to be pushed by compromised browser extensions, affecting a range of Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome, Brave, and Opera.
These malicious pop-ups attempt to trick users into downloading and running potentially harmful scripts. By claiming there is a "Critical Update Required" or "Update available," users are prompted to click through to proceed with the update. However, instead of a standard browser update, the pop-up downloads a suspicious .vbs or .exe script onto the user's device.
The issue has been affecting a growing number of web users over the past few days, as those who trust their daily browsing experience to reliable extensions suddenly find themselves at risk. This scam preys on users' trust in familiar browser add-ons, turning them against them by secretly launching malicious operations. To protect themselves, users must identify and remove any suspicious or newly acquired extensions that may have been compromised.
Written by urgent.news from Android Authority's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
