Malware disguises as Google Chrome download link on Microsoft Edge

We already know about the running joke of Microsoft Edge existing so you can download Google Chrome. But apparently Bing is causing a bit of trouble as it is supposedly returning search results that have malware and adware. Twitter user Gabriel Landau discovered this when he was searched “download chrome” on Bing, using the Microsoft Edge browser. He clicked on the first link that was marked as being from “google.com” and leads to a page that looks like the legitimate Google Chrome download page. But upon closer inspection, the URL of the page says “googleonline2018.com.” And if you don’t pay attention, you would think you were downloading the browser’s installer from the legitimate site. It even says you’re downloading “ChromeSetup.exe” when you press on the Download Chrome button. But when checking the file’s properties, it shows that it’s digitally signed by a company named Alpha Criteria, which isn’t Google.

How To Geek investigated the matter and found that the site is marked as a “deceptive site” by Chrome but it isn’t flagged as such by Microsoft Edge and Bing. The big problem here is it seems Bing isn’t checking the URL off the search result, which could make this deception easier to pull off. And it seems an issue like this has happened earlier in the year. Microsoft told How To Geek the fake ad has been taken down and accounts associated with the malicious content have been banned. However, they didn’t give an explanation on why the ad was marked as from “google.com” or that there will be an assurance that this won’t happen again.

Source: Digital Trends