Google disables The Great Suspender a popular Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store and customer’s devices because it contains malware.
Google disables The Great Suspender a popular Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store and customer’s devices because it contains malware.
The Great Suspender was used as an open-source extension that automatically suspends open tabs that haven’t been used for a while with the intent of saving resources. The extension replaces the suspended pages with a blank page until the user decides to use it again.
“This extension contains malware,” read a notification published from Google.
On Thursday, Google removed The Great Suspender extension from the Chrome Web Store and deactivated it from users computers.
The Chrome extension had millions of installs before it was removed from the Chrome store.
The extension’s original creator Dean Oemcke sold the extension in June 2020 to an unknown entity, following which two new versions were released directly to users through the Chrome Web Store (7.1.8 and 7.1.9).
Experts found out that a new maintainer of the extensions has secretly added a feature that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code remotely.
The malicious code could exploit the users of this extension in advertising fraud, tracking and more.
In November, Microsoft blocked The Great Suspender extension for the presence of malicious code.
“ After Microsoft removed it from Edge for malware, v7.1.9 was created without this code: that has been the code running since November, and it does not appear to load the compromised script. The malicious maintainer remains in control, however, and can introduce an update at any time. Well, they could until Google nuked the extension from their store.” reads a post published by Calum McConnell on GitHub.
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