Hackers have Watch Hugas Onlinediscovered a new way to remotely take control of your computer — all through the Google Chrome web browser.
A report from cybersecurity company SquareX lays out the new multifaceted cyberattack, which the firm has dubbed "browser syncjacking."
At the core of the attack is a social engineering element, as the malicious actor first must convince the user to download a Chrome extension. The Chrome extension is usually disguised as a helpful tool that can be downloaded via the official Chrome Store. It requires minimal permissions, further cementing its perceived legitimacy to the user. According to SquareX, the extension actually does usually work as advertised, in order to further disguise the source of the attack from the user.
Meanwhile, secretly in the background, the Chrome extension connects itself to a managed Google Workspace profile that the attacker has set up in advance. With the user now unknowingly signed into a managed profile, the attacker sends the user to a legitimate Google support page which is injected with modified content through the Chrome extension, telling the user they need to sync their profile.
When the user agrees to the sync, they unwittingly send all their local browser data, such as saved passwords, browsing history, and autofill information, to the hacker's managed profile. The hacker can then sign into this managed profile on their own device and access all that sensitive information.
The attack up to this point already provides the hacker with enough material to commit fraud and other illicit activities. However, browser syncjacking provides the hacker with the capability to go even further.
Using the teleconferencing platform Zoom as an example, SquareX explains that using the malicious Chrome extension, the attacker can send the victim to an official yet modified Zoom webpage that urges the user to install an update. However, the Zoom download that's provided is actually an executable file that installs a Chrome browser enrollment token from the hacker's Google Workspace.
After this occurs, the hacker then has access to additional capabilities and can gain access to the user's Google Drive, clipboard, emails, and more.
The browser syncjacking attack doesn't stop there. The hacker can take one further step in order to not just take over the victim's Chrome profile and Chrome browser, but also their entire device.
Through that same illicit download, such as the previously used Zoom update installer example, the attacker can inject a "registry entry to message native apps" by weaponizing Chrome’s Native Messaging protocol. By doing this, the attacker basically sets up a connection "between the malicious extension and the local binary." Basically, it creates a flow of information between the hacker's Chrome extension and your computer. Using this, the hacker can send commands to your device.
What can the hacker do from here? Pretty much anything they want. The attacker will have full access to the user's computer files and settings. They can create backdoors into the system. They can steal data such as passwords, cryptocurrency wallets, cookies, and more. In addition, they can track the user by controlling their webcam, take screenshots, record audio, and monitor everything input into the device.
As you can see, browser syncjacking is nearly completely unrecognizable as an attack to most users. For now, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from such a cyberattack is to be aware of what you download and only install trusted Chrome extensions.
Topics Cybersecurity Google
How I met my partner on X/Twitter
Behold Chicago's joyous insanity after Cubs take the World Series
Winner rakes in $8 million as the World Series of Poker champ
Twitter is mocking Boris Johnson after he compared Brexit to Titanic
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
Facebook says 40 million people are now using Internet.org
Kangaroo sneaks onto RV, comes back later with all his friends
The president who brought God back to the White House
HP Touchscreen Laptop deal: Get $240 off at Best Buy
Adele is sssmokin' as 'The Mask' for Halloween
The White House might have inflated Trump's golf record, because this is how we live now
Adele is sssmokin' as 'The Mask' for Halloween
'Not enough ice for a gin and tonic:' two weeks in the Northwest Passage
This is the worst thing that could've happened to the Chicago Cubs
SpaceX is so close to turning its rocket headquarters into an actual city
'The Crown' could well cure your 'Downton Abbey' nostalgia
Adele is sssmokin' as 'The Mask' for Halloween
Joe Biden outshines the sun by putting on Ray
The Portable Workstation: Dell XPS 13 + 32 UltraSharp 4K Monitor
A Tale of two Indias: An emerging tech superpower or market for the rest of the world
Apple removes 25,000 illegal gambling apps from its Chinese App StoreMake Burning Man suck again!Can you ID these '00s summer jams from just one video frame?Twitter was a confused, hot mess this weekTech IPOs, already rare, aren't about to start after BrexitTim Cook just became Nike's 'lead independent director'Kelly Marie Tran strikes back at haters in a powerful NY Times essayWatch a very cute dog husk some corn on the farmAfter losing users' trust, Facebook gives them ‘trustworthiness’ score10 Instagram posts that got people talking this weekGoogle sued over tracking locations even when 'Location History' is offHere's the app you need to make your iPhone photos look good enough for Tim Cook to shareScientists thought 'Steve' was a new aurora. Turns out it isn't.Ariana Grande brought three particularly important women on stage at the VMAsWhy Slender Man is scary: Millennial fears behind the internet legendCherries are the trendiest fruit of the summerJennifer Lopez's VMAs medley performance stole the showKelly Marie Tran strikes back at haters in a powerful NY Times essay15 things that make 2016 America actually awesomeCamila Cabello tweeted the best reply to her 2012 self after winning at the VMAs Best October Prime Day 4K TV deals: Amazon, Samsung, Toshiba, LG, Sony Arkadium mini crossword answers for October 8 Hurricane Milton: Online experts you can trust Prime Day Grubhub deal: Members get 50% off an order October Prime Day: Shop the best deals from Amazon, Apple, Garmin, LG, and more Best Prime Day deal: save up to 51% on Philips espresso machines Best smartphone deals: Shop Apple, Samsung, and Google during October Prime Day Best Prime Day Apple Watch deals: Series 10, 9, SE, and more How to watch Tesla's big Robotaxi event Best iPad Mini deal: Save $149 on the Apple iPad Mini Oct. Prime Day KitchenAid deals: Save on mixers and more Best keyboard deals ahead of October Prime Day 2024 Hurricane Milton storm surge video: National Weather Service releases dire warning Best iPad deals: Save up to $120 on Prime Big Deal Days Hurricane Milton: See Florida coast webcams live as the storm looms TikTok sued by more than a dozen states for allegedly addictive algorithm Can Meta fix Threads' engagement bait problem? Oct. Prime Day 2024: These are the best Xbox deals so far The best Lego deals of Prime Big Deal Days 2024 Hurricane Milton help available on new White House Reddit page
3.1943s , 8229.5234375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Watch Hugas Online】,Information Information Network