Fake Coinbase Wallet

Creators of dubious applications often abuse the names of already established software products and use them as a disguise for their own programs. This is exactly the case with a fake browser extension that tries to pass itself as a Coinbase Wallet extension. According to infosec researchers, this particular application was spread via sites providing cracked versions of licensed products, such as video games or software suites. It should be pointed out that the description of the fake Coinbase Wallet extension makes it clear that the application is not from the Chrome Web Store.

Once activated on the user's device, the application may start generating numerous, unwanted advertisements. In short, this particular fake Coinbase Wallet extension falls into the adware category. Adware applications may not deliver advertisements for legitimate products or sites. Instead, users are likely to encounter promotions for more PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) masquerading as real applications, phishing sites, fake giveaways, shady betting/dating platforms and more. Users also may have some of their data captured, packaged, and then uploaded to a remote server.

Indeed, PUPs are infamous for often having data-collecting capabilities. These applications could spy on the browsing activities carried out on the device, access numerous device details, or even try to compromise sensitive data extracted from the browser's autofill data. Users typically rely on this feature to save their account credentials, banking information, or payment details, such as credit/debit card numbers.