Analysis of Vulnerabilities of Web Browser Extensions

Web browser extensions are popularly used to add extra functionality to web-browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. These functionalities may include activity, entertainment, and security. However, many of these web exten- sions are not coded by security experts and thus they are targets for hackers when conducting cyber-attacks. This paper is based on a security review of 50 chrome extensions, 25 popular and 25 random. A study is done on their vulnerabilities through privilege granting and escalation, and suggestions are given on how to ameliorate the development and use of extensions, while reducing the risk-factors.