Chrome extension cons cryptocurrency users out of hardware wallet key – Naked Security

Cryptocurrency security company Ledger has warned users about a rogue Chrome extension that dupes its victims into giving up the keys to their crypto wallets.

Cryptocurrency owners need a wallet just like users of regular cash do. Instead of cash, however, crypto wallets hold digital keys – which grant users access to the blockchain addresses to unlock their funds. Some people write those addresses down on a piece of paper, while others might store them in a file on their computer or in a software application that doubles as a wallet. A hardware wallet is a device dedicated to storing the addresses, and they are built to be as difficult to hack as possible.

Launched in 2014, Ledger claims to have sold over 1.5m hardware wallets. There are two available: the Nano S and the Nano X. Both of them connect to an app called Ledger Live that lets users check balances and send and receive coins and tokens.

The app doesn’t contain a user’s private key. Instead, it accesses it…