Unraveling the Threat of Chrome Based Malware

Spencer Walden • Justin Warner - Unraveling the Threat of Chrome Based Malware Most leading web browsers, including Google Chrome, offer users the ability to install extensions, web based applications that have the ability to execute javascript/HTML...

Spencer Walden • Justin Warner - Unraveling the Threat of Chrome Based Malware

Most leading web browsers, including Google Chrome, offer users the ability to install extensions, web based applications that have the ability to execute javascript/HTML in the context of the browser. Software extensibility is both a cherished feature by end users to enhance their application experience, and in the case of Chrome extensions, also a potential threat to the security of the networks in which they are used. Many organizations simply accept the risk of user control over browser extensions with few controls and no auditing. This talk will present a technical analysis of an (allegedly) friendly Chrome extension that enabled a potentially massive click fraud campaign with over 200k+ users in its short lifetime. We will explore more broadly how Chrome extensions function and can be used maliciously to enable remote compromise of an enterprise network. Next, we will demonstrate the potential impact of a malicious Chrome extensions by demoing custom extensions and releasing sample techniques. Finally, we will discuss methods to which organizations can identify, detect, hunt, and control the use of extensions in their enterprise. We hope the audience will no longer face this threat unprepared.