Are Safari extensions a security hazard/risk?

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Level 1

133 points

Are Safari extensions a security hazard/risk?

I just downloaded and installed the updated Pocket extension for Safari.

Viewing it, and the Safari extensions for 1Password, Better (protection from trackers and behavioral advertising), and Save to Pocket, I see that all except Better note:

Webpage contents:

Can read sensitive information from webpages, including passwords, phone numbers, and credit cards on…

all webpages.

I find that deeply troublesome. Do others or am I being paranoid? Or is this only some disclaimer Apple requires designers of at least some extensions to make?

Many thanks.

MacBook

Posted on Sep 28, 2019 5:34 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eric Root

Level 10

685,221 points

Sep 28, 2019 7:53 AM in response to Room101A

Safari extensions can be a security risk. Whether a particular extension is a security risk depends on what it is being used for. For 1Password to be able to remember/record your passwords and credit card information, it has to be able to read the information. 1Password has a legitimate reason to be able to do that. Other extensions may not have a legitimate reason and are gathering your data as malware. You need to know that the extensions that are installed are from sources/programs you trust.

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