Trust Wallet CEO Eowyn Chen informed users on Thursday, 1 January, that the cryptocurrency wallet's official browser extension on the Google Web Store is “temporarily unavailable”.
Chena added that the unavailability of the Chrome extension has also delayed the rollout of its new version, which includes additional features designed to support users affected by the recent hack.
“Some may have noticed that the Trust Wallet Browser Extension is temporarily unavailable on the Chrome Web Store. We hit a Chrome Web Store bug while releasing a new version,” Chen said in an X post.
This update comes just days after the Binance-owned firm suffered a malicious security breach resulting in losses exceeding $7 million as attackers drained funds from user wallets on the platform.
CEO warns about counterfeit extensions
While informing users about the delay in rolling out the updated extension, Chen also warned about the possible presence of a fake version of the Trust Wallet Browser Extension, which may harm users if they download or use it.
“Please be alert of any fake version of Trust Wallet Browser Extension,” she wrote in the post.
Features of the new extension and current status of its launch
Trust Wallet's new version features a direct submission option for verification codes, allowing reimbursement claimants to submit them from their extension. In simple terms, this helps confirm that the wallet truly belongs to the affected user, rather than a hacker or scammer, making the verification process more reliable, Chen explained in her post.
Speaking about the status of the new version's launch, the top executive said, “Google has acknowledged the issue and is escalating it internally. We hope to have it resolved soon. Thank you for your patience!”
To reassure the affected users, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao stated that Trust Wallet will fully reimburse all users impacted. He also mentioned the team is investigating how hackers were able to submit the malicious update, suggesting a possible insider involvement, according to an official statement.
How did the hack happen?
The hack, which took place on 25 December, was reportedly carried out using hidden malicious code disguised as an analytics feature within version 2.68 of Trust Wallet's Chrome browser extension, which was released a day earlier.
Users who installed the affected version and imported their seed phrases unknowingly handed attackers access to their wallets. With access to seed phrases, they simply restored wallets elsewhere and drained all the money from these wallets.
