When Your Browser Becomes the Weak Link: The Hidden Risks of Extensions

Browser extensions have quietly become one of the most overlooked security vulnerabilities in enterprise environments. Employees install them for convenience—password managers, grammar checkers, collaboration tools—but the reality is that extensions can introduce serious risks. Cybercriminals increasingly exploit them to steal credentials, inject malware, and gain persistent access to corporate networks. If your security strategy doesn’t account for browser extensions, you may already have a blind spot that attackers are targeting.

An Inconvenient Security Risk

The assumption that browser extensions are safe is one of the biggest misconceptions in enterprise security. Just because an extension is available in an official store doesn’t mean it has been properly vetted. Google recently had to warn users to delete 16 popular Chrome extensions after discovering they contained malware. Worse, some extensions that start off legitimate are later hijacked through updates, turning millions of users into unwitting victims.

But the risks don’t stop at malware. Some of the most widely used extensions demand excessive permissions—often many more than they need to function. This can give them access to sensitive corporate data, browsing history, and even keystrokes. The more permissions granted, the greater the potential for abuse, whether by a rogue developer or a cybercriminal who compromises an extension after it has been installed.

Extensions as a Gateway for Supply Chain Attacks

Even if your IT team enforces strict security policies, browser extensions can still introduce supply chain risks. In recent months, a targeted attack against Chrome extensions allowed hackers to inject credential-stealing malware into enterprise environments. Attackers have realized that instead of hacking individual organizations, they can compromise a widely used extension and gain access to thousands of networks at once.

Another growing concern is Syncjacking—a new exploit that takes advantage of browser sync features to hijack entire browsing sessions, granting attackers control over everything from passwords to cloud applications. These evolving threats make it clear that extensions are more than just an IT nuisance—they’re an open door to enterprise data if left unchecked.

A Smarter Approach: Security Without the Risks

Rather than trying to vet and manage every possible extension, a smarter approach is to reduce dependency on them altogether. Primary’s Secure Enterprise Browser eliminates the need for risky add-ons by embedding security features directly into the browser. Here’s how:

• Built-in Protection, No Third-Party Extensions Required – Zero Trust security, continuous authentication, and real-time threat detection are integrated directly into Primary, so you don’t have to rely on third-party security extensions.
• Granular IT Controls Over Extensions – If extensions are necessary for business operations, Primary provides full oversight, allowing IT teams to control which extensions are approved and actively monitor their activity.
• Prevention of Credential Theft – Primary stops attackers from exploiting stolen credentials, ensuring that even if login details are compromised, they can’t be used to escalate an attack.

Time to Reevaluate Your Browser Security

It’s clear that browser extensions aren’t just a minor security inconvenience—they’ve become a serious and evolving threat to enterprises. Instead of constantly reacting to new attacks, organizations need a proactive approach that reduces reliance on extensions while maintaining security and usability.

Ready to secure your enterprise at the browser level? Contact us at connect@getprimary.com to learn more.