AVG's Chrome security add-on had a big security hole

You’d normally expect antivirus software to improve your web browser’s security, but just the opposite was true for AVG¹ until today. The company has fixed² an exploit in its protective Chrome extension, WebTuneUp, that would let maliciously-coded websites compromise your PC to a “trivial” degree. It could read your email on the web, for example.

AVG was quick about fixing the issue within days of getting a heads-up from Google, but there is a real concern that millions of people were vulnerable for considerably longer.

The discovery reinforces worries that antivirus makers are struggling to keep up³ with security issues, whether it’s shielding you from attacks or vulnerabilities in their own code⁴.

Simply put, there’s a ton of malware out there — it’s difficult to promise a completely airtight security solution, even if it’s a relatively simple web add-on.

References

1. ^{^} AVG (www.engadget.com)
2. ^{^} has fixed (code.google.com)
3. ^{^} struggling to keep up (www.engadget.com)
4. ^{^} in their own code (www.engadget.com)

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