Chrome Was Compromised on Neighbors' Computer, How?

Just fixed the neighbors' computer. I don't know how, but somehow Chrome was compromised, because I checked all their extensions, settings, etc. and could not find anything wrong. Malwarebytes, AdwCleaner, and HitmanPro all found some PUPs, but nothing to cause the behavior it had, which was whenever she clicked a link, Chrome would also open a link to a phony page saying they needed to update Chrome/Flash/etc. and to click Install to update.

Avast! was disabled when I first got on the PC, but I enabled it. It proceeded to block said pages (kind of), but it found no malware to remove either. I finally just uninstalled Chrome and reinstalled it, after deleting every Google folder, file, and registry key on the PC. It is fixed, just not sure how Chrome was compromised, since Chrome is supposed to be so secure.

Also installed Unchecky so hopefully no more PUPs will be installed when they install free software without unchecking the boxes for junkware during installlation, as well as AdGuard to block ads regardless of what browser they use.

 

When you install things and allow them whatever they want (like admin access), what can Chrome or any program do? Heck she even disabled Avast somehow. Chrome's security is only fully effective at its end of things.

 

You say you checked extensions, but did you check the plugins? There is a lot of popular Chrome-targeting adware going around at the moment.

 

Secure and invincible don't share the same definition.