browser extensions

[Rose]

I was wondering if extensions in browsers on mx-linux can record the users web activity, even when the extensons are not being used? Are they active all the time? For example, could details about interent banking be obtained by an extension? And is the decription of what info an extension can glean, decided by the browser company providing extensions, or the extension developer? This isn't the correct forum, but it's one that I often look at.

[CharlesV]

I was wondering if extensions in browsers on mx-linux can record the users web activity, even when the extensons are not being used? Are they active all the time? For example, could details about interent banking be obtained by an extension? And is the decription of what info an extension can glean, decided by the browser company providing extensions, or the extension developer? This isn't the correct forum, but it's one that I often look at.

Web browser extensions are not 'mx linux', they are browser extensions and as such are provided through the web browser system and through its functionality. Extensions are normally created by third parties and are supposed to tell you permissions that they are requesting and that you OK.

Now... not ALL extensions are checked for everything, so it is up to you to check and do due diligence to verify that an extension is actually who it is from, what they do, and that others are saying about it.

In my opinion, you should stick with known, verified, highly used extensions and you should STILL be always on guard against some behavior that is unwanted.

As far as what extensions can do - yes, they are 'always live' , and yes they can snoop on what you do. Your secure connections ( https ) are *supposed to be* 100% secure - however, the last time I worked with the SSL consortium, ( 15 years ago ), the actual web browser ***connection*** was "secure", but that had NOTHING to do with what was rendered on screen - which pretty much most extensions can read. (ie the web browser dom is NOT secure from prying eyes. )

[CharlesV]

Some reading on the subject:


https://brave.com/learn/what-are-web-br ... xtensions/

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/ti ... -extension

https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-audi ... ge-safari/

https://www.consumerreports.org/electro ... 340423059/

[@ajaxStardust]

I happen to maintain a page devoted to web browser extensions. Perhaps you'll get some insight from there, and i'm pleased to assist should you have further questions. What's there are mostly what I tend to *always* use at some time or another.

Of course there is the inherent disadvantage in bookmarking such a site as mine, as I'll eventually stop caring about it, and it'll become irrelevant. Maybe you'll find something there to suit your fancy in any case.

https://wordpresscenter.net/web-browser-extensions

Cheers! I don't develop extensions, but I do experiment a lot. Esp if it comes to something like Xdebug helper, Vue dev tools, HTTP Mod Header, etc.

[Adrian]

I would be very careful with the extensions especially those that require access to "any data on any website you browse", stick with the well know ones. And in general limit the use of extensions -- they do use CPU and memory and you limit the attack vector.

I also recommend "Under New Management" extension, it detects when your installed Chrome/Firefox extensions have changed owners. Intermittently checks your installed extensions to see if the developer information listed on the Store has changed. If anything is different, the extension icon will display a red badge, alerting you to the change.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detai ... anlleioikj
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... gement-v2/

You don't want to have the surprise that the developer dropped the extension and somebody else took it over and might have different policies that objectives than the original developer.

[LinuxSpring1]

I was wondering if extensions in browsers on mx-linux can record the users web activity, even when the extensons are not being used? Are they active all the time? For example, could details about interent banking be obtained by an extension? And is the decription of what info an extension can glean, decided by the browser company providing extensions, or the extension developer? This isn't the correct forum, but it's one that I often look at.

Yes if the extension is loaded by a browser then they can record the user web activity.
Yes extensions are active all the time.
Yes details about internet banking can be obtained by an extension.
The description of what info an extension can glean is decided by the extension developer. The Browser company has nothing to do with it. If the browser company provides the extension then the yes the browser company can glean whatever it wants.

Any particular reason why you are looking at these question about extensions?