ChromeOS · Recovery Guide

How to Spot a Malicious or Unwanted Chrome Extension on a Chromebook

Learn the tell-tale signs of dodgy Chrome extensions and how to investigate them safely on your Chromebook.

Recognising Suspicious Behaviour

Malicious or unwanted extensions often betray themselves through unusual activities. Keeping an eye out for these can help you spot a problem early.

Unexpected pop-ups, adverts, or new tabs appearing randomly in your browser.
Your Chromebook running slower than usual, especially when using Chrome.
Your default search engine or homepage changing without your permission.
Websites looking different or displaying odd content that wasn't there before.
Requests for unusual permissions, such as access to all website data, when you install new extensions.

Good extensions usually have a clear purpose and don't try to hide their actions.

The first place to look for problematic extensions is in Chrome's own settings. This allows you to review everything you have installed.

Open your Chrome browser on your Chromebook.
Type chrome://extensions into the address bar and press Enter.
Alternatively, click the three vertical dots menu in the top right, then select More tools > Extensions.

Always regularly check this page for any extensions you don't recognise or remember installing.

Once you're on the extensions page, you can delve deeper into each one to understand what it does and what access it has on your Chromebook.

On the chrome://extensions page, locate an extension you want to examine.
Click the Details button for that extension.
Review the Permissions section to see what data or actions the extension can access.
Look at the Support URL or Website link, if available, for more information about the developer.
Note the ID of the extension; this can sometimes be useful if you need to search for information about it online.

Be wary of extensions requesting excessive permissions that don't align with their stated function.

Before you take any action, you can further confirm if an extension is legitimate or potentially harmful by checking its reputation and reviews.

Search for the extension's name in the Chrome Web Store.
Read user reviews and look at the star ratings; be suspicious of extensions with very few reviews or many negative ones.
Search online for the extension's name along with terms like 'review', 'scam', or 'malware' to see if others have reported issues.
Check the developer's name or website; legitimate developers usually have a clear online presence.
Avoid downloading extensions from external websites; always use the official Chrome Web Store.

The Chrome Web Store is generally a safe source, but even legitimate-looking extensions can sometimes be malicious.