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Google Pulls Popular "Save Image as Type" Chrome Extension Over Malware Warning

Google acted after independent reports tied the add-on to affiliate link injection through a hidden script.

Overview

  • Chrome disabled the extension for existing users and removed its listing, with notices stating it contains malware.
  • The tool had more than one million installations and let users save images as PNG, JPG, or WebP from the right‑click menu.
  • Technical analyses from XDA Developers and Reddit point to an inject.js file that contacted remote servers and swapped in the extension’s affiliate IDs across 578 sites.
  • Store records indicate the developer contact changed in August 2024 from “Lauren Bridge” to Image4Tools, and Microsoft had already removed the Edge version months earlier.
  • Reporters advise uninstalling the add-on and considering vetted alternatives such as “Save Image As PNG.”