Here’s why you shouldn’t store passwords in your browser

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Now, a cheap and readily available malware targets the database file where account and password information is stored.

Cybersecurity experts are warning the public, especially those working from home, about the dangers of storing passwords in browsers like Chrome and Edge. The warning follows the arrival of cheap and easily accessible malware.

Malware attack
This malware, called Redline Stealer, is sold on the dark web for just £111. The team at security firm AhnLab has warned of this new threat after looking into a security breach that affected a company whose employees work remotely. The researchers explain:

The company where the breach occurred provided a VPN [virtual private network] service to employees who worked from home to give them access to the company’s internal network. The employees connected to the VPN using the laptops provided or their PCs.

According to the publication, the affected employee used the password management feature of the web browser to save and use the VPN account.

In the process, the PC was infected with malware that targeted account credentials and spied on accounts and passwords of various websites, including the company’s VPN account.

How significant is the threat?
Most people use their browser’s password management feature to store passwords for easy logins – and the same is true on work computers.

The Redline Stealer, which first appeared on the Russian dark web, works by targeting the database file where account and password information is stored. It is spread through phishing tactics by hackers. The researchers write:

Redline Stealer first appeared in March 2020, and it used phishing emails that abused the Covid-19 problem. It is known that the malware was then spread via various methods such as phishing emails, abusing Google ads, and disguising itself as a photo editor.

However, there is no need to worry – yet – because the threat of this malware is not widespread at the moment. It is also likely that browser manufacturers will make their products more secure in future updates.