A deceptive browser add-on, pretending to be from the OKX cryptocurrency exchange, has managed to sneak its way into the Firefox web store.
On January 8th, the official Chinese account of OKX posted a cautionary message concerning a harmful browser extension found in the Firefox add-on marketplace. It’s important to note that OKX has not created any officially endorsed browser plugins.
Browser add-ons are tiny software packages designed to improve your web browser’s capabilities by introducing new functions or utilities, like password keepers or advertisement filtering tools. The Firefox browser marketplace acts as a hub where users can get these add-ons.
Scam artists involved with cryptocurrency frequently gain access to these platforms by establishing developer profiles and circumventing the quality control and safety measures. As a result, they can post harmful add-ons that trick users, expose confidential data such as private keys, and even empty digital wallets.
To prevent potential losses, it is strongly recommended that you safeguard any funds kept in wallets linked to the browser extension. Also, remember to obtain software exclusively from the official OKX website or their authorized social media platforms for your safety.
The platform has contacted Mozilla (creators of Firefox) to ask them to take down a suspicious add-on that was still available for download on their store when news broke, and had already been downloaded by 95 people. At that point, it wasn’t certain if any users experienced financial loss due to this questionable extension.
Scammers cleverly disguised the plugin at first sight by employing genuine OKX branding and an account name identical to the exchange itself. Additionally, they accumulated numerous positive reviews to strengthen its perceived reliability.
Upon closer examination, I’ve noticed some delicate discrepancies in the phrasing and content that may act as warning signs for those seeking to authenticate it.
Dangerous browser add-ons like these have resulted in substantial financial losses for cryptocurrency users. On April 8th, a user suffered an estimated loss of $800,000 after encountering two harmful extensions designed initially as keyloggers, specifically intended to compromise crypto wallets.
Crypto platforms and associated applications, frequently chosen due to their convenience, can unfortunately serve as a favorable ground for scammers, as users tend to download such apps easily. Last year in May, a fraudulent version of Aggr, an app that provides advanced trading tools, was detected on the Chrome store. This deceptive app secretly gathered sensitive data from cookies stored in browsers.
According to a report published in September by cybersecurity company Group-IB, it was revealed that malicious groups like North Korea’s Lazarus team, who have inflicted billions of dollars worth of damage within the crypto industry, are increasingly focusing their efforts on attacking browser extensions such as MetaMask, Coinbase, BNB Chain Wallet, and TON Wallet. In simpler terms, these cybercriminals are aiming to exploit these specific digital wallet extensions commonly used in the cryptocurrency sector.
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2025-01-09 09:50