Google causes tens of thousands of people to mistakenly download fake software

About 37,000 people downloaded the fake ad blocker after it slipped through Google's review system.

According to Mashable, both Google and 37,000 users were fooled by the creator of a fake extension on the Chrome browser, because they used the name of another very famous and legitimate software, AdBlock Plus.Additionally, this fake extension's landing page is also presented to look very "real" with user reviews.

Google quickly detected the problem and immediately removed this illegal adware from the system. However, the company has not yet clarified the level of danger this malware poses to devices that have downloaded the above extension.

At least one person reported that as soon as the fake software was installed in Chrome, not only were ads not blocked, but they also appeared with higher frequency, while new tabs also opened automatically on the browser.

More than 37,000 people downloaded ad blockers but were exposed to more ads.

In May 2017, a hacker also created a fake extension called Google Docs, which had the same name as a Google product, and bypassed the censorship system to appear on the app store.

The scam was considered very sophisticated and made many people panic because by simply clicking on the malicious link, they accidentally gave the attacker access to their account. Google then advised Gmail users to be cautious when clicking on document links, even if they were sent from an acquaintance's account, and to activate the two-factor security mechanism.

Security ExpertSwiftOnSecurity on Twitter said that Google needs to change its moderation mechanism to deal with malware writers, to avoid users falling into similar incidents.

For devices infected with malware, users should uninstall the browser and reinstall it or access the preferences/extentions management section on the browser to remove unnecessary extensions.

According to VNE