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Google Pulls Popular 'Save Image as Type' Chrome Extension Over Malware

Independent research found the tool hijacked shopping commissions via hidden frames.

Overview

  • Google disabled and delisted the extension after flagging it as unsafe malware in Chrome.
  • The add-on had more than one million users who used it to save images as PNG, JPG, or WebP.
  • Analyses by XDA Developers and Reddit investigators found code in inject.js that contacted a server, opened hidden iFrames, and replaced affiliate tags on hundreds of sites, reportedly 578.
  • Developer metadata shows a change of ownership in late 2024 or 2025, consistent with a bait-and-switch of a once-legitimate utility.
  • Microsoft’s Edge store removed the same extension about a year earlier, and security guidance urges users to uninstall it and clear cookies or site data, with vetted alternatives such as Save Image As PNG available.