Microsoft Banned This Extension But Google Kept Promoting It

Google recently removed a massively popular browser extension called “Save image as Type” from the Chrome Web Store after discovering it contained hidden malware. Millions of people relied on this specific tool every day to quickly download pictures from the internet in convenient formats like JPG, PNG, or WebP. The sudden removal left many users confused and scrambling for safe alternatives.

However, the real surprise is how long the extension managed to stay active and highly visible on Chrome. Microsoft actually caught the exact same malware and kicked the tool out of its Edge browser add-on store more than an entire year ago.

How the extension secretly hijacked shopping commissions

While Google simply stated the extension contained malware, independent code investigators uncovered exactly what the program was doing behind the scenes. The tool was not stealing personal passwords or locking up computer files. Instead, it was secretly running a background script to hijack retail affiliate links.

Whenever a user visited a major online store like Amazon or Best Buy, the extension would load a hidden webpage frame. It then swapped out any existing affiliate tags with its own specific tracking codes. This meant the creators of the extension were quietly pocketing the referral money for purchases made by the extension’s one million active users.

It is definitely concerning that a tool with such obviously malicious behavior managed to survive on the official Chrome Web Store for an extra year after a rival company flagged it. During that extended lifespan on Chrome, “Save image as Type” continued to rack up daily downloads. It ultimately reached a high user rating of 4.2 stars based on nearly two thousand reviews.

People genuinely loved how simple and useful the tool was for saving daily images. That basic utility is exactly why the hidden background script was able to go entirely unnoticed by the average internet user for so long.