Third-party add-on has always been a headache for web browser developers. They install without permission and cause all sorts of problems for users from memory leaks to increased vulnerability. In recent months, both Mozilla and Google have taken a strong stance against unauthorized add-on installation. Google now completely blocks installation of Chrome extensions that did not originate from the Web store, and Firefox warns users if it detects add-ons that were automatically installed.
While Firefox users are inherently immune to unauthorized add-on installation, Chrome users, unfortunately, are not. Chrome extensions can still get installed without prompts and permission, a loophole that software publishers are exploiting to push their products to unsuspecting users.
A popular extension called Extensions Update Notifier can alert you of such intrusion. The extension which was originally created to notify users whenever extensions auto-updated was recently updated with this new feature. Henceforth, Extensions Update Notifier will notify users with a popup whenever it detects a new extension that was installed without the user’s approval. You will then have the choice to either keep the extension or disable it.
While this is not as efficient as outright blocking, it’s an effective stop-gap measure until Google tightens up third-party extension security.
[via Chrome Story]
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