Web Developer for Chrome v0.4.9 contained malicious code that generated a domain via a DGA and fetched a remote script. The fetched script conditionally loaded follow-on modules that performed extensive ad substitution and malvertising, displayed fake “repair” alerts that redirected users to affiliate programs, and attempted to harvest credentials when users logged in. Injected components enumerate common banner sizes for substitution, replace third-party ad calls, and redirect victim traffic to affiliate landing pages. Potential impacts include user-level code execution in the browser context, large-scale ad fraud and traffic hijacking, credential theft, and exposure to additional payloads delivered by the actor. The compromise was reported on by the maintainer of Web Developer for Chrome on August 2, 2017 and remediated in v0.5.0.
History

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 22:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Web Developer for Chrome v0.4.9 contained malicious code that generated a domain via a DGA and fetched a remote script. The fetched script conditionally loaded follow-on modules that performed extensive ad substitution and malvertising, displayed fake “repair” alerts that redirected users to affiliate programs, and attempted to harvest credentials when users logged in. Injected components enumerate common banner sizes for substitution, replace third-party ad calls, and redirect victim traffic to affiliate landing pages. Potential impacts include user-level code execution in the browser context, large-scale ad fraud and traffic hijacking, credential theft, and exposure to additional payloads delivered by the actor. The compromise was reported on by the maintainer of Web Developer for Chrome on August 2, 2017 and remediated in v0.5.0.
Title Web Developer for Chrome v0.4.9 Malicious Backdoor Supply Chain Compromise
Weaknesses CWE-506
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 9.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:N'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: VulnCheck

Published: 2025-10-08T22:04:12.297Z

Updated: 2025-10-08T22:04:12.297Z

Reserved: 2025-10-08T19:02:59.368Z

Link: CVE-2017-20202

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2025-10-08T22:15:31.703

Modified: 2025-10-08T22:15:31.703

Link: CVE-2017-20202

cve-icon Redhat

No data.