"Socket researchers found that the extension, Amazon Ads Blocker, replaces existing creator affiliate tags with its own identifier on every Amazon product link. The extension "... automatically injects the developer's affiliate tag (10xprofit-20) into every Amazon product link and replaces existing affiliate codes from content creators," the researchers said in their analysis. Inside the affiliate hijacking scheme This case illustrates how browser extensions can quietly abuse their privileged access to web content while presenting themselves as legitimate productivity tools."
"Although Amazon Ads Blocker appears to function as advertised, its hidden behavior reveals a deliberate monetization scheme operating beyond user visibility or control. Socket's research confirmed that Amazon Ads Blocker is not an isolated example, but part of a coordinated network of at least 29 extensions targeting major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, AliExpress, Best Buy, Shopify, and Shein. The shared infrastructure, consistent affiliate identifiers, and repeated policy violations across multiple extensions strongly suggest intentional affiliate hijacking rather than a one-off compliance mistake."
"From a technical perspective, the extension operates in two distinct layers. The first is its visible functionality: a basic ad-blocking mechanism that uses CSS selectors to identify and hide sponsored product listings on Amazon pages. By targeting known ad-related elements, the extension successfully removes sponsored content, reinforcing the impression that it exists solely to improve the shopping experience. The second layer runs silently in the background."
Amazon Ads Blocker replaces creators' affiliate tags with the developer's affiliate tag (10xprofit-20) on every Amazon product link, redirecting affiliate commissions to the developer. The extension hides sponsored product listings using CSS selectors, giving the appearance of legitimate ad blocking while silently injecting affiliate tags. A coordinated network of at least 29 similar extensions targets major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, AliExpress, Best Buy, Shopify, and Shein using shared infrastructure and consistent affiliate identifiers. The repeated policy violations and shared infrastructure indicate intentional affiliate hijacking rather than accidental misconfiguration. The behavior exploits browser-extension access to web content and operates beyond user visibility or control.
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