Understanding Extension Security Risks and Mitigation Strategies

According to Odaily, SlowMist's Cosine recently shared insights on the X platform regarding the potential risks associated with browser extensions. He highlighted that extensions could engage in malicious activities such as stealing cookies, accessing private data in localStorage, manipulating the DOM, hijacking requests, and capturing clipboard content. These actions can be controlled through permissions configured in the manifest.json file. Cosine emphasized the importance of users being vigilant about the permissions requested by extensions. While it is challenging for an extension to directly target other extensions, such as well-known wallet extensions, due to sandbox isolation, users should still be cautious. Directly stealing sensitive information like private keys or mnemonic phrases from wallet extensions is unlikely. To assess the risk of an extension's permissions, Cosine suggested a simple method: after installing an extension, users can refrain from using it initially, check the extension ID, locate the local path on their computer, and examine the manifest.json file. By analyzing this file, users can understand the permissions and potential risks involved. For those concerned about the risks associated with unfamiliar extensions, Cosine recommended enabling a separate Chrome profile for such extensions. This approach allows for controlled usage, as most extensions do not need to be active continuously.