Beware of Chrome Extension Trojans | MEXC Exchange API Key Theft Risk

【Crypto World】Recently, the security team discovered a quite dangerous situation. A malicious Chrome extension called “MEXC API Automator” has been active in the app store, and it has been listed since September 1, 2025.

The extension’s tactics are straightforward—under the guise of “automated trading,” it secretly generates API keys with withdrawal permissions for you, then secretly sends these keys to an attacker-controlled Telegram bot. The key point is that it also hides the display of these permissions in the interface, making it completely invisible.

Once your keys are stolen, the consequences are quite serious—the attacker can directly control your account, place trades at will, initiate automatic withdrawals, and ultimately transfer all assets out of your account. This is not an alarmist statement, but a real threat.

The security research team has reported this extension to Google and marked its malicious nature. But before it is fully removed, everyone is advised to be cautious: do not install unknown Chrome extensions at will, especially tools related to trading and asset management. Regularly check the permissions of your installed extensions as well.

If you have already installed this extension, it is best to uninstall it immediately, then log into your MEXC account to change your password, and review the permissions of your existing API keys. Security is no small matter, especially in the crypto world.