{“lastseen”:”2025-10-22T17:03:52″,”description”:”Recent research by Socket\u2019s Threat Research Team uncovered a massive, coordinated campaign flooding the Chrome Web Store with 131 spamware extensions. These add-ons hijack WhatsApp Web\u2014the browser version of WhatsApp\u2014to automate bulk messages and skirt anti-spam controls.\\n\\nSpamware is software that automates the sending of unsolicited bulk messages\u2014often for advertising, phishing, or even spreading malware\u2014across email, messaging apps, or social media.\\n\\nAccording to Socket, the extensions inject code directly into the WhatsApp Web site, running alongside its own scripts to automate bulk outreach and scheduling. This helps them bypass WhatsApp\u2019s anti-spam controls.\\n\\nThe 131 extensions all share the same codebase, design patterns, and infrastructure. This is obviously a sign that something is off. If you\u2019re proud of your product, why would you disguise it under dozens of aliases?\\n\\nSome marketers use WhatsApp spamware to automate and scale up outbound campaigns, flooding users with unwanted promotional messages or links. The extensions promise to help them evade WhatsApp\u2019s built-in limits, enabling large-volume outreach that would typically be blocked if attempted manually. These tools offer them a readily available spam infrastructure.\\n\\nBut having a spamware extension installed isn\u2019t just a problem for others\u2014it can also pose a direct risk to yourself:\\n\\n * **Privacy and security:** These extensions inject code into web sessions, potentially exposing your messages and login data to third parties.\\n * **Policy violations:** Many of these extensions automate actions that can get your WhatsApp or Google account restricted or banned.\\n\\n\\n\\nMany promotional sites for these extensions claim that Chrome Web Store inclusion means a rigorous audit and code review that guarantees privacy and safety. In reality, Chrome\u2019s process is a policy compliance review, not a certification, and presenting it as an audit misleads buyers and creates a false sense of security.\\n\\nThat said, it\u2019s still safer to download from the official Chrome Web Store than from random sites or direct file links. The store has reporting, review and takedown processes that most other sources lack.\\n\\nThe researchers reported the extensions to the Chrome security team and requested that the associated publisher accounts be suspended for policy-violating spamware.\\n\\n## Stay safe\\n\\n * Check extension permissions.\\n * Avoid add-ons that \u201cautomate\u201d messaging apps.\\n * Stick to reputable developers.\\n * If in doubt, remove suspicious extensions and scan your browser and device for threats.\\n\\n\\n\\n* * *\\n\\n**We don\u2019t just report on threats\u2014we remove them**\\n\\nCybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.”,”published”:”2025-10-22T15:49:27″,”modified”:”2025-10-22T15:49:27″,”type”:”malwarebytes”,”title”:”Over 100 Chrome extensions break WhatsApp\u2019s anti-spam rules”,”source”:””,”references”:””,”id”:”MALWAREBYTES:4EA709E319EBC4B454C10F4571FB024D”,”bulletinFamily”:”blog”,”cwe”:null,”cvelist”:[],”sourceData”:””,”sourceHref”:””,”cvss”:{“score”:0,”severity”:”NONE”,”vector”:”NONE”,”version”:”NONE”},”cvss2″:{},”cvss3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””,”cvssV3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””}},”href”:”https:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/blog\/news\/2025\/10\/over-100-chrome-extensions-break-whatsapps-anti-spam-rules”,”category_name”:”News”,”post_link”:””,”product”:””,”version”:””,”vendor”:””,”ai_description”:””,”ai_severity”:””,”ai_vendor”:””,”ai_product”:””,”ai_version”:””,”ai_score”:0}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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