Chrome extension auto-updates from a now-abandoned publisher account
Summary
Extension was acquired by a new maintainer who pushed a malicious update through the Chrome Web Store auto-update channel. Users who installed under the original trusted publisher received the compromised version silently.
Severity & confidence
High
Credible abuse path with meaningful impact on confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Remediate on a short timeline; do not wait for the next sprint cycle.
Confirmed
Observed directly by Jiffy scanners or validated by multiple independent sources. Indicators are reliable enough to drive automated action.
Indicators
Observed patterns and artifacts associated with this entry. Each indicator can be copied into your detection stack or SIEM.
(?i)update_url\s*:\s*"?[^"]+chrome\.google\.com
Detection rule
A YARA-style pseudo-rule auto-generated from the indicators above. Useful as a starting point — adapt the syntax for your target detection platform.
rule jiffy_ti_2026_000098
{
meta:
source = "jiffy-intel"
severity = "high"
description = "Auto-generated from Jiffy Intel indicators"
strings:
$content_pattern_0 = "(?i)update_url\\s*:\\s*\"?[^\"]+chrome\\.google\\.com"
condition:
$content_pattern_0
}Auto-generated from the indicators above. Adapt syntax for your detection stack before deploying.
Affected tools
| Tool | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome / Chromium | * | vulnerable |
Example artifacts
Sanitized examples of artifacts Jiffy has observed exhibiting this pattern. Publisher handles are redacted; version ranges and status reflect the most recent scan.
- ReadLater PlusExtensionRemoved
Original maintainer sold account; buyer pushed malicious update.
- Page Translate ProExtensionStill live
Maintainer change flagged; awaiting Google response.
How to remediate
- 01Pin trusted extension versions via enterprise policy.
- 02Review extension update logs via `chrome://extensions` and enterprise MDM.
Timeline & sources
Timeline
- First observedFeb 15, 20262 months ago
- Last updatedApr 16, 20261 day ago
- PublishedMar 3, 20261 month ago
Sources
References
MITRE ATT&CK T1195 — Supply Chain Compromise
https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1195/OWASP LLM-03: Supply Chain (2026)
https://genai.owasp.org/llmrisk/llm-03-2026/Browser Extension AI-Assistant Abuse (arXiv 2509.12033)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12033Scan for patterns like this
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