Security Researcher Identifies 287 Extensions Exfiltrating History
In a recent report, researcher "Q Continuum" identified 287 Chrome extensions that exfiltrate browsing history across an estimated 37.4 million installations. The automated testing pipeline linked data flows to more than 30 collectors — including Similarweb, Semrush, Alibaba, and ByteDance — while about 20 million installs had unknown recipients. The findings call for stronger extension permission scrutiny and better Web Store enforcement.
Key Points
- 1Identifies 287 Chrome extensions exfiltrating browsing histories across an estimated 37.4 million installations.
- 2Reveals data flows to over 30 collectors including Similarweb, Semrush, Alibaba, and ByteDance.
- 3Urges stronger safeguards and scrutiny of extension permissions, privacy policies, and Web Store enforcement.
Scoring Rationale
Comprehensive, high-scope investigation revealing 37.4M installs; limited independent verification and single-researcher sourcing moderately reduce certainty.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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