How does currency flow into someone else's wallet? Browser extensions hide risks, one step to secure your crypto assets

A software engineer, Ariel Weinberger, released an article on Medium today, warning cryptocurrency investors not to overlook the cybersecurity risks that could potentially lead to asset loss without their knowledge. You can read the full article here.

Hidden Risks of Browser Extensions

As the cryptocurrency market continues to rise, more and more scammers are using the guise of airdrops or cryptocurrency financial products to deceive people of their money. Meanwhile, hackers lurking in the shadows are also lying in wait, seeking opportunities to intercept users' assets.

According to Ariel Weinberger, most commonly used browser extensions actually pose unknown risks. Take the popular extension AdBlock for example, which can inject JavaScript code into your browser to hide annoying ads. Conversely, this type of extension can also replace the deposit QR code or address displayed on the exchange's frontend when you visit the exchange with your browser, causing you to unknowingly send coins to someone else's wallet.

Ariel Weinberger also provides the source code of malicious code (for educational purposes only) and how it operates in the article. Ariel Weinberger states:

"Technically, any Chrome extension you install can steal your cryptocurrency."

If you send funds to the wrong address, that money is essentially lost to someone else, as the exchange cannot help you since they never received the assets, and you cannot know who took your assets because the entire blockchain system is pseudo-anonymous. You might think to seek justice from the extension's developers, but in reality, it may not be the original development team's fault; rather, hackers injected malicious code into their extensions through other channels, making them likely victims of hackers themselves.

How to Avoid This Issue?

Avoiding such issues is actually quite simple. Just click on "Person" in the browser menu, create a new user, and do not install any extensions. In the future, whether dealing with cryptocurrency transactions, online banking, or online stock trading involving asset management operations, conduct transactions through this newly created user to safeguard your assets.