Top Risks

• Search-provider override silently redirects all omnibar queries to safechatsearch.com — passive search-term exfil at scale.
• Extension is 42 months stale (>36mo maintenance score maxed); no security updates for 3.5 years.
• Brand impersonation of ChatGPT/OpenAI confirmed; developer is not a verified publisher and not the brand owner.
• Privacy policy fetched but does not scope to this extension, admits data collection, no retention disclosed — rated highest privacy risk.
• Install URL hijack opens third-party URL on install (install_url_hijack=true).

Evidence

• search_provider_override manifest chrome_settings_overrides sets is_default=true, routing all searches to safechatsearch.com/search.php?p={searchTerms}.
• brand_impersonation store brand_mention.is_impersonation=true for 'chatgpt'; confirmed_owner=false; not verified publisher.
• maintenance_critical store Last updated February 2023; months_since_update=42 — exceeds 36-month max-stale threshold.
• privacy_policy_inadequate api Policy fetched but scope_extension=false, data_collection=true, retention=false, third_party_silence=true.
• install_url_hijack crx install_url_hijack=true; target='https://' — opens external URL on install.
• no_verified_publisher store verified_publisher=false, is_featured_by_google=false; developer identity unverified.
• triple_stale_fingerprint store months_since_update=42 (>24mo) + MV3 + no CVEs; v2 calibration +2.0 webstore applied.
• privacy_policy_D_rule api scope_extension=false AND data_collection=true AND third_party_sharing=false → +10.0 privacy (D-rule partial match, scope missing).

Permissions Breakdown

• chrome_settings_overrides.search_provider (is_default=true) medium Silently replaces user's default search engine; routes all searches to safechatsearch.com.

Pillar Scores

Bookkeeping