Millions of Chrome users now have a way to protect themselves against the threat of extension subversion, that is, if they don't mind installing yet another browser extension.
How to identify your Chrome Extension users with Chrome Identity 👀
Matt Frisbie, a software developer and programming book author, has released a Chrome extension called Under New Management to alert users when installed extensions have changed hands.
In the GitHub repo for Under New Management, Frisbie explains why this might be useful. Basically: Add-ons can be developed for completely innocent, useful purposes, but when they're sold or handed over to others, the new owners can — and have — stealthily tweaked the code to target the user, steal their information, or inject ads. This type of hacking can affect millions of netizens at a time.
"Extension developers are constantly getting offers to buy their extensions," says Frisbie. “In almost all cases, those who buy these add-ons want to rip off the existing users.
