Recently, a post from GitLab discovered that 16 legitimate Chrome extensions had been hijacked by hackers with malicious updates, putting 3.2 million users’ data at risk. Some outlets incorrectly listed Adblock Plus as one of the extensions. We want to be clear that Adblock Plus has not been hacked. Adblock Plus still offers reliable and safe ad blocking on Chrome and other major browsers.
Although corrections have been made to these news articles, we wanted to reassure you in case you missed the retractions. Below is a screenshot from GitLab of the affected extensions:
Chrome extensions affected
The extensions listed have all been removed from the Chrome store. You can check here to see that Adblock Plus is still listed. Immediately delete any of the following extensions if you have these installed:- Blipshot (one click full page screenshots)
- Emojis – Emoji Keyboard
- WAToolkit
- Color Changer for YouTube
- Video Effects for YouTube and Audio Enhancer
- Themes for Chrome and YouTubeâ„¢ Picture in Picture
- Mike Adblock für Chrome | Chrome-Werbeblocker
- Page Refresh
- Wistia Video Downloader
- Super Dark Mode
- Emoji Keyboard Emojis for Chrome
- Adblocker for Chrome – NoAds
- Adblock for You
- Adblock for Chrome
- Nimble Capture
- KProxy
Helpful tips
It is important to stay vigilant about which apps you have installed. Some helpful tips include:- Read reviews and check ratings (or better yet, look for an external review)
- Carefully examine all permissions requested by extension before giving access
- Audit your extensions from time to time
- Limit the number of extensions you have installed
We hope this clears up any confusion and sets your mind at ease. Please reach out to our support team at support@adblockplus.org if you have any further questions or concerns. We always love hearing from you.
Thank you for trusting us to make your internet experience worry-free.