Beware! Microsoft Warns Of Adrozek Malware That Affects Major Web Browsers; Know More

According to Microsoft, new malware Adrozek is affecting major web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox. It modifies browser extensions to insert ads in search results.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: Microsoft has warned of new malware is affecting all web browser. According to the tech giant,  the Malware which is known as Adrozek affects Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Yandex browsers. The reports of attacks have been coming since May this year and it peaked in August. It had affected 30,000 devices every day. How does Adrozek affect browsers? The malware inserts ads into search results so that users are redirected to the affiliated pages. To do this Adrozek adds malicious browser extensions so that ads can be inserted into the webpages. ‘Adrozek modifies a specific DLL per target browser and changes browser settings to insert additional, unauthorized ads into web pages, often on top of legitimate ads from search engines,’ said Microsoft in a blog post. Androzek which is installed on devices through drive-by download, wants users who are searching for certain keywords, to inadvertently click on these malware-inserted ads.  The attackers earn through affiliate advertising programs, which pay by amount of traffic referred to sponsored affiliated pages said Microsoft. Even though the technique used by Adrozek i.e. modifying browser is old, the fact that it can affect multiple browsers makes it more dangerous. Around 159 unique domains, each hosting an average of 17,300 unique URLs, which in turn host more than 15,300 unique, polymorphic malware samples on average have been tracked. 'Such a sustained, far-reaching campaign requires an expansive, dynamic attacker infrastructure. we recorded hundreds of thousands of encounters of the Adrozek malware across the globe, with heavy concentration in Europe and in South Asia and Southeast Asia'