Bad Extension! Bad! Boo!


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So, logged in from a semi-public computer here at the Ronald MacDonald House, when a Wikia-style pop-up add started assaulting me... while I was on Paizo and Google Chrome and nothing else. Further, I'd noticed that various words were highlighted and turned into hyperlinks, like I was on one of the more annoying websites infested with hyperlinks every few words - fortunately this one wasn't nearly as bad.

Still, it was disturbing enough that I checked the extensions...

... and found two that are really... creepy.

One thing called "ArcadeYup" (or something similar) and, even worse, another thing called "CouponXplorer" were in the Extensions.

Both had permission to read and alter data on whatever website I was in.

The latter also had permission to alter my history, and manage everything. It's... terrifying.

I turned them both off, and the website now runs more quickly and lacks the hyperlinks, and doesn't send pop-ups. The House Manager had no idea what they were, and, when I showed them to her, and noted what they did, asked if I could get rid of them (which was easy enough).

They are likely both benign... at least in the sense that tumors can be be... but I wanted to post here to know if I should take any further steps.

This may be the wrong part of the website, but I wanted to be sure to let the tech team know that if weird things start happening to my account, you'll know why.

EDIT: This was sometime within the last hour or so.


Heh. I used the RMHC computer exactly once for that very same reason. Decided that I was better off just using my laptop.


I've since removed them and thoroughly scrubbed that computer clean of cookies, any suspicious applications, and all extensions I don't trust a lot (with permission of the owner). Still, it was a disturbing experience.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Ah, those types of extensions.

As far as I know, they're pretty much benign (but should be burned from space). Someone who used the computer downloaded something, and one of the things the download did was add the extensions to the browser. They're not typically "dodgy" per se, just really, really, really annoying.

They seem to typically come from file download sites where it's not abundantly clear what that big "Download Now" button is actually for - it's not for the file you've hunted out, I assure you!


Ugh, I know. I hate those sites. It always feels, legitimate product or not, that they make it as daggum difficult to find what you're their to download as possible (usually buried somewhere hidden in normal but small text half way down) while there are usually no less than three different-size and vague to the point of being actively deceptive "DOWNLOAD NOW"-type things to click.

I figured more or less what you did, but... Those permissions, man. Vague and broad enough that, really, I could see someone literally replicating everything you looked at, saw, and wrote, and be perfectly "justified". Blech.

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