Attackers Use Malicious Browser Extension To Steal From Chrome Users

Volexity security experts have uncovered a malware campaign by a North Korean threat group identified as Kimsuky.

The campaign uses a malicious browser extension called SHARPEXT to steal emails from Google or Microsoft Edge users who read their webmail. The campaign supports three Chrome-based web browsers: Chrome, Edge and Whale.

The malicious extension is installed after a victim’s system is compromised with a custom VBS script. Here, attackers replace the ‘Preferences’ and ‘Secure Preferences’ with those downloaded from the malware’s command-and-control server.

After the new preferences files are installed, the web browser automatically loads the SHARPEXT extension.

SHARPEXT can be used to collect a wide range of information using commands listing previously collected emails from the victim, listing email domains with which the victim had previously communicated, blacklisting email senders, and adding a domain to the list of all domains viewed by the victim.

Others include uploading a new attachment to the remote server, uploading Gmail data to the remote server, and uploading AOL data to the remote server.

The sources for this piece include an article in BleepingComputer.

Top Stories

Related Articles

May 31, 2025 A coordinated supply chain attack has compromised between 500 and 1,000 e-commerce websites by exploiting vulnerabilities in 21 more...

May 31, 2025 A widely used open-source Go library, easyjson, used in healthcare, finance and even defence has come under scrutiny more...

May 31, 2025 (EDITORIAL) A messaging tool used by Trump administration officials to archive encrypted Signal messages has been hacked — more...

April 22, 2025 Anthropic, a leading artificial intelligence company, anticipates that AI-powered virtual employees could begin operating within corporate networks as more...

Jim Love

Jim Is and author and pud cast host with over 40 years in technology.