Google has removed a fake extension named AdBlock Plus from the Chrome Web Store that was downloaded 37,000 times by users around the world. It’s posed as the popular AdBlock Plus ad blocker but forcibly opened new tabs to display ads to users.
The main issue here is that Google let another developer to trick 37,000 Chrome users by uploading an extension using the same name as AdBlock Plus, which is a very common ad blocker for Chrome.
According to one of the fake extension’s reviewers, the user started receiving invasive ads that open lots of tabs after he installed fake AdBlock Plus. Sadly, it’s unclear what else it can do or if it has even more damaging effects that we still don’t know of.
Google is working seriously attempting to stop fake Chrome extensions appearing in the store, but it still has a long way to go. Although it can be hard if not impossible to detect every one, Google has to improve the verification process to further minimize the risks of malicious extension making its way to the Chrome Web Store.