Malicious Chrome Extension Turns the Browser Into a Backdoor for Hackers
Brief
Once installed, it can turn Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge into a persistent backdoor for stealing browser data, hijacking sessions, and executing commands on the victim’s computer.
PEEP is not an initial-access malware family. Attackers first need administrative access or the ability to run code on a target system.
They can then silently place the malicious extension into Chrome or Edge profiles, bypassing normal Web Store installation checks and user approval prompts.
The toolkit was identified by SOCRadar’s Threat Research Unit through its Extended Threat Intelligence platform .
Researchers found that PEEP is derived from the open-source RedExt framework, but adds stealthy installation methods, browser persistence, host-level control, and expanded data-theft features.