# Researchers identify 319 Chrome extensions routing searches through tracking servers

_Published Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 12:33 PM EDT · Security · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Researchers identify 319 Chrome extensions routing searches through tracking servers — Primary](https://www.bleepstatic.com/content/hl-images/2026/10/29/Chrome.jpg)

Socket researcher John Tuckner has identified 319 Chrome extensions with a combined 13.4 million reported installations that redirect searches through tracking servers to earn Bing and Yahoo referral payments. The new report adds 264 extensions to his April 2025 findings, BleepingComputer reported.

The add-ons pose as PDF converters, manual finders and search tools. Chrome's built-in settings let them replace the default search provider; one example needed only a manifest and icons, without scripts or requested permissions.

The operator-controlled servers can change destinations without updating an extension, creating a route to phishing or malicious downloads. Most identified extensions had been removed from the Chrome Web Store when the report was published.

## Sources

- [BleepingComputer](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/chrome-extensions-with-134-million-installs-caught-hijacking-searches/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/9ABhBHdee8bOBY6GYbL8wC
Published: 2026-10-29T16:33:07.984Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-29T16:10:31.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-29T18:44:23.625Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)