Top Risks

• Default search hijack routes all queries to monetized feed.search-fort.com (publisherid=70662) without user awareness.
• Privacy policy URL is unreachable (fetch error); developer domain fashionnewtab.com does not resolve — no accountability.
• Extension is 36 months stale with no updates; abandoned or orphaned extension is acquisition/compromise risk.
• Broad host_permissions (*://*/*) grant full page access despite a trivially simple stated function.
• Developer name absent and developer domain dead; verified-publisher badge provides no meaningful assurance here.

Evidence

• search_provider_override manifest is_default=true; search_url=feed.search-fort.com with publisherid/barcodeid monetization params.
• broad_host_permissions manifest host_permissions includes *://*/* giving read/write access to all sites.
• privacy_policy_unreachable api fetched=false, reason=fetch_error:ConnectionError; fashionnewtab.com does not resolve.
• developer_domain_dead api threat_intel.developer_domain_info.resolves=false; domain fashionnewtab.com offline.
• stale_extension store Last updated August 2023; months_since_update=36. No changelog visible.
• no_developer_name store developer_name is empty string; no identifiable publisher beyond email.
• mismatch_email_domain_vs_extension store Developer email @fashionnewtab.com but extension is SearchFort; domain mismatch suggests repurposed asset.
• verified_publisher_cap_triggered api v3.5 invariant 0c: verified-publisher discount capped at -1.0 (domain not resolving + 36mo stale).

Permissions Breakdown

• tabs medium Can read tab URLs/titles; medium risk on its own but paired with broad host access.
• *://search-fort.com/ medium Grants full access to search-fort.com, the monetized search backend.
• *://.search-fort.com/ medium Extends access to all subdomains of search-fort.com including feed subdomain.
• *://*/* high Effectively <all_urls>: read/write access to all HTTP/HTTPS pages.
• chrome_settings_overrides.search_provider high Forces default search engine to monetized feed.search-fort.com with publisherid parameter.

Pillar Scores

Bookkeeping