Experts are warning Google Chrome users of a new ploy by hackers to gain access to their systems.
Computer research team Proofpoint has sent out a warning on the hacking trick, which involves fake notification pop-ups pretending to be from Chrome web browsers and posing as an error.
“Something went wrong while displaying this webpage,” one fake pop-up read.
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“There was an error during the latest update of browser version, causing some web pages to malfunction, follow these instructions to resolve the issue.”
The pop-up leaves instructions for the computer user to complete, which promises to fix the issue but actually installs malware on the device, leaving it vulnerable to hackers.
“Although the attack chain requires significant user interaction to be successful, the social engineering is clever enough to present someone with what looks like a real problem and solution simultaneously, which may prompt a user to take action without considering the risk,” Proofpoint said.
“Users are shown a pop-up text box that suggests an error occurred when trying to open the document or webpage, and instructions are provided to copy and paste a malicious script.“
Proofpoint said they had observed this particular hacking technique as early as March 1, 2024, with variants of the technique popping up in both April and June.
They advised users to report suspicious activity and to be careful about copying and pasting any texts or codes pretending to be trusted software applications.