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Free Link Checker by LRT

Version 1.1.5.28 View in Chrome Web Store

Last scanned: about 13 hours ago

Extension Details

Developer: LinkResearchTools GmbH

Rating: 4.3 ★ (45 ratings)

Users: 20,000

Context-Aware Verdict

HIGH

Overall Risk

Trust Factors:

The extension is developed by LinkResearchTools GmbH, a legitimate company in the SEO/link analysis space, which adds credibility. With 20,000 users and a 4.3-star rating from 45 reviews, it shows reasonable adoption and user satisfaction. The specific purpose of link checking aligns with the developer's business focus, suggesting legitimate intent.

Concerns:

The extension requests extremely broad permissions that extend far beyond basic link checking functionality. The webRequest permission allows intercepting and modifying all web traffic, while broad host permissions grant access to every website you visit. The tabs permission enables manipulation of browser tabs and access to sensitive tab information. These capabilities combined create significant potential for data harvesting, traffic interception, and privacy violations that aren't necessary for simply checking links on a page.

Recommendations:

Consider running this extension in a separate Chrome profile dedicated to SEO work to isolate it from personal browsing. Before installation, verify you actually need automated link checking versus manual methods. Review the extension's privacy policy carefully to understand data collection practices. Monitor your network traffic after installation for unexpected behavior. Consider alternative link checking tools that don't require such extensive browser permissions, or use web-based link checkers that don't require browser extensions at all.

Findings

HIGH

Broad Host Permissions

This extension has broad host permissions allowing it to access many or all websites. This could potentially be used to steal sensitive data or track browsing activity.

HIGH

High-Risk Permission: tabs

This extension has the tabs permission. Can access browser tab information and manipulate tabs. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

HIGH

High-Risk Permission: webRequest

This extension has the webRequest permission. Can intercept and modify web requests. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

MEDIUM

Medium-Risk Permission: activeTab

This extension has the activeTab permission. Can access the active tab when clicking the extension icon.

MEDIUM

Medium-Risk Permission: storage

This extension has the storage permission. Can store data locally.

Security Analysis Details

Required Permissions:

activeTab
tabs
webRequest
scripting
storage

Host Permissions:

http://*/*
https://*/*

Embedded URLs (81 total):

https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx	https://app.linkresearchtools.com/smart/qbl_loader.php?domainlink=
http://www.w3.org/2000/svg	http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink
http://lrt.li/lrtlcsuccesschrome	http://lrt.li/lrtlcuninstallchrome
http://lrt.li/lrtlclogochrome	http://lrt.li/lrtlcratingtopleftch
http://lrt.li/lrtlcsettingsratingch	http://lrt.li/lrtlcseealsoch
http://lrt.li/lrtlcchrlrt	https://www.google.com/search?q=LRT%20Power%2aTrust
http://lrt.li/lcchrtrial	https://lrt.co/linkchecker/export
http://lrt.li/lrtlcsuccessfirefox	http://lrt.li/lrtlcuninstallfirefox
http://lrt.li/lrtlclogofirefox	http://lrt.li/lrtlcratingtopleftff
http://lrt.li/lrtlcsettingsratingff	http://lrt.li/lrtlcseealsoff
http://lrt.li/lrtlcfflrt	http://lrt.li/lcfftrial
http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/1.1/DTD/svg11.dtd	https://test2.linkresearchtools.com/power_trust/api/api.php
https://plugin.linkresearchtools.com/api/api.php	http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1255512/how-to-draw-a-rounded-rectangle-on-html-canvas
http://sheetjs.com	http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/
http://purl.org/dc/terms/	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/
http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/mac/excel/2008/main	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/sheetjs/core-properties	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/docPropsVTypes
http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance	http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main	http://purl.oclc.org/ooxml/spreadsheetml/main
http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2006/main	http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2006/2
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/content-types
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/officeDocument	http://sheetjs.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/officeDocument
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/hyperlink	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/vmlDrawing
http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/relationships/vbaProject	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships
http://docs.oasis-open.org/ns/office/1.2/meta/	http://docs.oasis-open.org/ns/office/1.2/meta/pkg#
http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/metadata/core-properties
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships/metadata/core-properties	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/extended-properties
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/extended-properties	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/custom-properties
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/custom-properties	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/sharedStrings
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/styles	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/theme
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/image
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/drawing	http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/comments
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/dialogsheet	http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/relationships/xlMacrosheet
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/worksheet	http://purl.oclc.org/ooxml/officeDocument/relationships/worksheet
http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/chartsheet	http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML
http://openoffice.org/2004/office	http://openoffice.org/2004/writer
http://openoffice.org/2004/calc	http://www.w3.org/2001/xml-events
http://www.w3.org/2002/xforms	http://openoffice.org/2005/report
http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml	http://www.w3.org/2003/g/data-view#
http://openoffice.org/2009/table	http://openoffice.org/2010/draw

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Raw Manifest

{
  "name": "Free Link Checker by LRT",
  "icons": {
    "16": "/img/icon16.png",
    "48": "/img/icon48.png",
    "128": "/img/icon128.png",
    "256": "/img/icon256.png"
  },
  "action": {
    "default_icon": "/img/icon48.png",
    "default_popup": "/html/widget.html"
  },
  "version": "1.1.5.28",
  "background": {
    "service_worker": "sw_background.js"
  },
  "short_name": "Link Checker",
  "update_url": "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx",
  "description": "Free link checker to verify all links on a page. Finds broken, unverified, no-follow, follow, internal, external links.",
  "permissions": [
    "activeTab",
    "tabs",
    "webRequest",
    "scripting",
    "storage"
  ],
  "host_permissions": [
    "http://*/*",
    "https://*/*"
  ],
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "web_accessible_resources": [
    {
      "matches": [
        "http://*/*",
        "https://*/*"
      ],
      "resources": [
        "/img/*",
        "/html/*",
        "/css/*"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

by ✦ Astarte

Free Link Checker by LRT

Extension Details

Context-Aware Verdict

Findings

Security Analysis Details

Required Permissions:

Host Permissions:

Embedded URLs (81 total):

Raw Manifest

Detections

Manifest Findings