Malicious chrome extensions - BlockSite ,....etc - still available in store ?

[jpaul]

Bottom line - browser extension BlockSite is spyware, make sure you don't install it.


Details -

Chrome was running very slowly and as pages loaded saw the following messge during page load

.... waiting for extension Website Blocker for Chrome™

I initially though it was a standard message from UblockOrigin,

but somehow this extension got installed a couple of days ago, looking back in browser history I have no idea how, I've now disable it, hopefully.

it's this in store
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/...blocke/eiimnmioipafcokbfikbljfdeojpcgbh?hl=en

Anyway there is an Ars article which suggests it is extensive spyware . but it is still on the google site ?

https://arstechnica.com/information...million-ios-android-chrome-and-firefox-users/

https://adguard.com/en/blog/big-star-labs-spyware.html?msID=533dec0b-199d-4e37-b3bf-41e7314dc3e6

Here's the full list of suspicious apps and extensions that belong to "Big Star Labs":

• Block Site. Privacy policy.
  • Android app with 100,000+ installs.
  • Chrome extension with 1,440,000+ users.
  • Firefox extension with 119,000+ users.
• AdblockPrime. Privacy policy.
  
  An ad blocker for iOS. It's hard to estimate the users count as it is not distributed via App Store.
  
  
• Mobile health club apps. Privacy policy.
  
  Several popular Android utilities.
  • Speed BOOSTER - an Android app with 5,000,000+ installs.
  • Battery Saver - an Android app with 1,000,000+ installs.
  • AppLock | Privacy Protector - an Android app with 500,000+ installs.
  • Clean Droid - an Android app with 500,000+ installs.
• Poper Blocker. Privacy policy.
  • Chrome extension with 2,280,000+ users.
  • Firefox extension with 50,000+ users.
• CrxMouse. Privacy policy.
  • Chrome extension with 410,000+ users.

I found install date by looking in Chrome extension folder -
C:\Users\paul\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\eiimnmioipafcokbfikbljfdeojpcgbh\4.0.9.1_0\

On the google apps site, there appears to be no way, to see all the bad reviews - stupid
(unlike amazon reviews say)


edit: this ... when you read the description you know its junk