Extension Trust Auditor
A lightweight, privacy-first permission & update watchdog Chrome Extension
Extension Trust Auditor is an open-source, privacy-first permission and update watchdog for Google Chrome developed by AuthBrain. It continuously monitors your installed extensions for silent permission expansions, version/ownership jumps, and security risks — translating complex Chrome API permissions into clear, human-understandable language 100% offline.
Extension Architecture Stack
JavaScript ES6+
Pure Client Logic
Manifest V3
Secure Service Worker
Chrome Management API
Permission Footprint Hooks
Chrome Alarms API
Background Alarm Watchdog
HTML5 & CSS3
Popup & Dashboard Console
Zero Telemetry
100% Offline Local Processing
🌟 Key Features & Security Watchdog
Automated Permission Watchdog
Continuously monitors declared permissions and host permissions across all installed Chrome extensions to detect unexpected scope changes.
Traffic-Light Risk Scoring
Instantly classifies extensions into High Risk (🔴), Moderate Risk (🟡), and Safe (🟢) based on permission footprints and scope expansions.
Plain-Language Translations
Translates cryptic API permissions (webRequest, <all_urls>, declarativeNetRequest, cookies, tabs) into plain human sentences.
Instant Desktop Notifications
Delivers immediate alerts whenever an installed extension silently expands its scope to gain access to all websites or sensitive browser APIs.
Security Audit Console
Comprehensive dashboard featuring snapshot history timelines, extension enable/disable toggles, quick uninstall shortcuts, and downloadable JSON security audit reports.
100% Offline & Private
Zero network requests, zero telemetry, and zero external servers. All permission parsing and risk analysis runs strictly inside your local browser.
🚀 How to Install & Run in Chrome
Quick instructions for running Extension Trust Auditor in developer mode:
- 1 Clone or download the repository from GitHub.
- 2 Open Google Chrome and navigate to
chrome://extensionsin your address bar. - 3 Enable Developer mode using the toggle switch located in the top-right corner of the page.
- 4 Click the Load unpacked button in the top-left corner.
- 5 Select the project folder containing the
manifest.jsonfile. - 6 Click the extension puzzle icon in Chrome's toolbar and pin Extension Trust Auditor for instant access.
📁 File Structure
Clean, modular codebase design optimized for zero dependencies and high performance:
Extension_Trust_Auditor/
├── manifest.json # Manifest V3 specification
├── background.js # Background service worker (snapshot engine & alarm watchdog)
├── popup.html / .css / .js # Compact extension popup UI
├── dashboard.html / .css / .js # Security audit console dashboard
├── lib/
│ ├── permissionExplainer.js # Plain language translation dictionary & diff generator
│ └── riskScoring.js # Deterministic traffic-light risk algorithm
├── data/
│ └── knownRisky.json # Offline bundled security advisories
├── icons/
│ ├── 16.png # Traffic-light shield PNG icon (16x16)
│ ├── 48.png # Traffic-light shield PNG icon (48x48)
│ └── 128.png # Traffic-light shield PNG icon (128x128)
├── CHROMEWEBSTORE.md # Web Store listing metadata & permission justifications
└── README.md
Built For Security & Privacy Enthusiasts
Security-Conscious Users
Detect stealthy permission expansions or ownership changes when Chrome extensions update in the background.
Enterprise Admins & IT Sec
Export downloadable JSON security audit reports for compliance tracking and browser threat surface analysis.
Web Extension Engineers
Test Manifest V3 permission footprints and inspect human-language translation outputs during extension development.
Related Platforms
Need custom browser security tools or team permission policies?
AuthBrain develops custom enterprise security extensions, zero-trust tools, and auditing infrastructure tailored to your needs.
Schedule Technical Consultation