Fake Chrome update scam could infect your computer

You are browsing the web when a warning suddenly takes over the page.

It says your browser needs a "Critical Update" before you can continue.

It looks like Chrome.

The message feels urgent.

So, clicking Update may seem like the safest thing you can do.

That is exactly what makes this fake Chrome update scam so convincing.

Recent reports linked aggressive fake browser update warnings to a Chrome extension called Enable Right Click & Copy - Smart Unlock + OCR.

The extension was originally developed as a legitimate tool for restoring right-click and copying features on websites that block them.

However, security researchers at Socket now say the extension was later acquired by a threat actor and updated with malicious functionality.

It had around 70,000 users when that malicious functionality appeared, although researchers caution that this does not mean every user received the malicious version.

The extension was delisted from the Chrome Web Store on Aug.

14 after being flagged as potentially malicious.

FAKE WINDOWS UPDATE INSTALLS HIDDEN MALWARE The bigger lesson goes beyond one extension.

Something you installed months ago and trusted every day can change after an update.