Security researchers have uncovered a network of 152 Google Chrome extensions posing as live wallpaper and new-tab customization tools that secretly collected user information and generated fake web traffic to make money through advertising. The extensions, which featured popular themes ranging from anime characters and football stars to sports cars and video games, were spread across 38 different Chrome Web Store publisher accounts. Together, they amassed more than 105,000 installations, according to research from Socket’s Threat Research Team. The operation was linked to three backend brands: tabplugins[.]com, yowgames[.]com, and chromewallpaper[.]com. Researchers said the extensions were built from a shared codebase, suggesting they were part of a coordinated campaign rather than isolated projects. Privacy claims didn’t match reality One of the most troubling findings was the gap between what the extensions promised and what they actually did. On their Chrome Web Store pages, the extensions claimed not to collect or use user data. But Socket found that the privacy policies linked by the extensions told a different story. “Every listing declares on the Chrome Web Store …