← Back to Feed19 Chrome and Edge Extensions Found With Wallet-Stealing and Crypto-Draining Code
August 28, 2026 · The Hacker News · Severity: MEDIUM
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a cluster of 19 malicious browser extensions—18 for Google Chrome and one for Microsoft Edge—that were designed to steal wallet secrets and drain cryptocurrency. The campaign, tracked as Superior by Socket security researchers, has been active since at least February 2024, with the threat actor either purchasing legitimate extensions or initially publishing clean versions before updating them with malicious code. Once the extensions gained user downloads, the malware-enabled versions would connect to command-and-control servers to exfiltrate data and execute arbitrary commands. The findings indicate the scope of the activity is broader than previously recognized, involving fake websites and dual-functionality extensions that appear benign while performing malicious actions in the background.
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a cluster of 18 Google Chrome and one Microsoft Edge extensions that were published over the last six months and harbored wallet secret stealing and cryptocurrency draining capabilities. The extensions , per Socket security researcher Karlo Zanki, share similarities in code and tradecraft, with evidence indicating that the campaign may have been active since February 2024. Socket is tracking the activity under the name Superior. The modus operandi is relatively straightforward: the threat actor either acquires legitimate extensions with proper functionality or pushes a clean version that's devoid of any malware. Once the extensions begin to gather user downloads, a new version with the malicious behavior is published. Of the identified extensions, 14 were created by the threat actor, while the remaining five were purchased from their previous owners. The complete list of extensions is below - Extensions bought by the threat actor koccklolohdacbfooifnpebakpbeipc - Enable Right Click & Copy Smart Unlock + OCR fegckejpfnlmfgkfjpinlbgmeeijjkel - RapidLens - Google Lens for Screen Search & Images kdenlnncndfnhkognokgfpabgkgehodd - QuickLens - Search Screen with Google Lens jamminefolhgepgihbmcjjhgldbfcikp - Password Protect PDF inmkjedjdhgpknjogbjomhnbgdccckkg - Allow Copy - Select & Enable Right Click (Microsoft Edge) Extensions created and published by the threat actor - fcgdejjichpgfaaafflplhfijcnieopb - PixelCheck cfpnjdbpojpcongfaefcamjbaolpelcd - Creative Library - Ad Spy Tool aapdalkmclfaahehnmicbglkohkldhne - Website Traffic Checker: MirrorSphere SEO Stats dkdadldmiefjldmegbjbnhhfddnkhlhm - Site Signal - Website Traffic & SEO Checker fjmlhlkccegopebcllcmafahkmeejpph - SEO Pulse Pro - Website Traffic & SEO Analyzer iekoapohahgmogbagegmcgplbkikcgke - Private Crypto News Reader ahpnnnjbnfbhoikhohglpohnoocjcoco - Blockfolio: Address Monitor oeacadlaclegkkkdehjmiifnjhcekclj - Crypto Rates & Fiat Converter jmlgannjlbliikgcaieomgmcnfplglea - Crypto Alerter: Price Alarms & Volatility Warnings lhmcajhgadanidbopgaoobjlldegjmke - DeFi Pulse Tracker gfackggoapepdmnjnkblogdcjpgcjiak - Crypto Price Badge: Quick Glance hfijkbdkpidafdbeebnnkhfccildbcle - Multi-Chain Explorer cngchfbfgejllcbhmeadjhiebebiome - LedgerLook: Wallet Checker aodkjdeghbjiaienipfjkbpcikkacbcp - Meta & Facebook Ad Library Spy Save Ads, Finder, Downloader | FeedX-Ray It's worth highlighting that the "QuickLens - Search Screen with Google Lens" was previously flagged by both Annex Security and monxresearch-sec earlier this year, detailing its ability to push malware to downstream customers, inject arbitrary code, and harvest sensitive data. The latest findings from Socket suggest that the activity is broader in scope than previously thought and has been ongoing since February 2024. Some aspects of this campaign were documented by DomainTools Investigations in May 2025. At the time, the threat actor was observed creating fake websites masquerading as legitimate services, productivity tools, ad and media creation or analysis assistants, VPN services, cryptocurrency or banking utilities to trick users into installing malicious extensions from the Chrome Web Store. "The extensions typically have a dual functionality, in which they generally appear to function as intended, but also connect to malicious servers to send user data, receive commands, and execute arbitrary code," DomainTools Investigations said . The extension with the most potential impact is "Enable Right Click & Copy Smart Unlock + OCR," which has a collective install base of 80,000 users across both Chrome and Edge browsers. Each of the extensions also supports the ability to establish contact with a command-and-control (C2) server and set up a persistent WebSocket connection. "Worth noting is that the loading framework supports rotation of the C2 endpoint based on instructions received from the initial C2 server and this behavior has been observed in the wild," Zanki explained. "That functionality enables threat actors to distribute victims to different groups and dedicated C2 infrastructure and to reduce the detection risk. Data exfiltration endpoint is also dynamically received from the C2 instructions enabling a per-victim exfiltration channel." As observed in the case of QuickLens, the malicious code embedded in the extensions strips Content Security Policy (CSP) headers from every page and facilitates the injection of JavaScript code modules on targeted websites using content scripts. A total of 16 modules have been identified. They span the following categories - Multi-chain wallet drainer Hardware-wallet seed-phrase harvester Cryptocurrency exchange and wallet account harvester Universal credential or form grabber Facebook and LinkedIn account stealers Browser history stealer ClickFix -style lure The ClickFix module injects a fake web browser update and employs operating system-specific instructions to get the user to copy and paste the malicious command. Exactly who is behind the campaign remains unknown. But the fact that they have been successfully operating for more than two years points to a "very capable threat actor." "The biggest risk for end-users is the operational technique in which the threat actor successfully acquires legitimate extensions and releases new versions empowered with malicious functionality," Zanki said. "That approach, combined with Chrome's default extension update settings, performs auto-updating to the latest version of extension, providing the threat actor with a powerful vector to maximize the impact and reach of the extension acquisition." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Google News , Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.
Key Takeaways
- Researchers discovered 19 browser extensions with wallet-stealing capabilities, active since February 2024.
- These malicious extensions can drain cryptocurrency wallets, posing significant financial risk to users.
- Users should immediately review and remove suspicious extensions, and only install from trusted sources.