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Pearson MyLab LockDownBrowser

Version 0.1.00.116 View in Chrome Web Store

Last scanned: about 10 hours ago

Extension Details

Rating: 1.2 ★ (24 ratings)

Users: 300,000

Context-Aware Verdict

CRITICAL

Overall Risk

Trust Factors: This extension is developed by Pearson, a well-established educational technology company, which provides some legitimacy. However, the extremely low rating of 1.2 stars from 24 reviews is concerning and suggests significant user dissatisfaction. The 300,000 user base indicates institutional deployment rather than organic adoption.

Concerns: The extension's permissions are extraordinarily invasive for an educational tool. The combination of history access, cookie manipulation, clipboard monitoring, web request interception, and universal website access creates a comprehensive surveillance capability. The management permission allowing control over other extensions is particularly alarming. The broad content script injection across all websites means this extension can monitor and modify any web content you access, not just educational platforms. The poor user ratings suggest potential functionality issues or user privacy concerns.

Recommendations: This extension poses significant privacy and security risks that extend far beyond typical educational software needs. If required for coursework, create a dedicated Chrome profile exclusively for educational use and avoid accessing personal accounts, banking, or sensitive websites while the extension is active. Consider using a separate device or virtual machine for non-educational browsing. Review your institution's privacy policy regarding this software and understand what data may be collected. The extensive permissions suggest this functions more as comprehensive monitoring software than a simple browser lock tool.

Findings

HIGH

Broad Content Script Injection

This extension can inject scripts into any website. This means it could potentially read sensitive data, modify website content, or steal credentials.

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: clipboardRead

This extension has the clipboardRead permission. Can read clipboard content. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

HIGH

High-Risk Permission: clipboardWrite

This extension has the clipboardWrite permission. Can modify clipboard content. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

HIGH

High-Risk Permission: cookies

This extension has the cookies permission. Can access and modify browser cookies. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

HIGH

High-Risk Permission: history

This extension has the history permission. Can access your browsing history. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

HIGH

High-Risk Permission: management

This extension has the management permission. Can manage other extensions. This could potentially be used maliciously to compromise security or privacy.

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: webNavigation

This extension has the webNavigation permission. Can track your web navigation. 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: notifications

This extension has the notifications permission. Can show notifications.

MEDIUM

Medium-Risk Permission: storage

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

Security Analysis Details

Required Permissions:

system.display
history
cookies
storage
notifications
webNavigation
webRequest
declarativeNetRequest
declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess
tabs
management
scripting
idle
clipboardRead
clipboardWrite
contentSettings
browsingData

Host Permissions:

http://*/*
https://*/*
<all_urls>

Embedded URLs (21 total):

https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx	https://smc-service-cloud-sdk2.respondus2.com/MONServer/drmcheck.shtml
https://smc-service-cloud-sdk2.respondus2.com	https://qa-app.respondus2.com
https://web.respondus.com/tou-helpcenter/	https://respondus.knowledgeowl.com/home
https://support.respondus.com/	http://getbootstrap.com
https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/blob/master/LICENSE	https://github.com/h5bp/html5-boilerplate/blob/master/src/css/main.css
http://fontawesome.io	http://fontawesome.io/license
http://jqueryui.com	http://jqueryui.com/themeroller/?bgShadowXPos=&bgOverlayXPos=&bgErrorXPos=&bgHighlightXPos=&bgContentXPos=&bgHeaderXPos=&bgActiveXPos=&bgHoverXPos=&bgDefaultXPos=&bgShadowYPos=&bgOverlayYPos=&bgErrorYPos=&bgHighlightYPos=&bgContentYPos=&bgHeaderYPos=&bgActiveYPos=&bgHoverYPos=&bgDefaultYPos=&bgShadowRepeat=&bgOverlayRepeat=&bgErrorRepeat=&bgHighlightRepeat=&bgContentRepeat=&bgHeaderRepeat=&bgActiveRepeat=&bgHoverRepeat=&bgDefaultRepeat=&iconsHover=url
http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/1.1/DTD/svg11.dtd	https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans
https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Raleway	http://fonts.cdnfonts.com/css/museo-sans-rounded
https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Tangerine	https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css
https://smc-service-cloud.respondus2.com

Raw Manifest

{
  "name": "Pearson MyLab LockDownBrowser",
  "icons": {
    "128": "assets/images/icon.png"
  },
  "action": {
    "default_icon": {
      "48": "assets/images/icon.png",
      "128": "assets/images/icon_128.png"
    },
    "default_popup": "./pages/popup/popup.html"
  },
  "author": "SDK_PEARSON_PROD",
  "version": "0.1.00.116",
  "incognito": "not_allowed",
  "background": {
    "service_worker": "background.js"
  },
  "update_url": "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx",
  "description": "LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the exam environment within specific learning and assessment systems.",
  "permissions": [
    "system.display",
    "history",
    "cookies",
    "storage",
    "notifications",
    "webNavigation",
    "webRequest",
    "declarativeNetRequest",
    "declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess",
    "tabs",
    "management",
    "scripting",
    "idle",
    "clipboardRead",
    "clipboardWrite",
    "contentSettings",
    "browsingData"
  ],
  "default_locale": "en",
  "content_scripts": [
    {
      "js": [
        "assets/js/jquery-3.4.1.min.js",
        "assets/js/jquery-3.4.1.min.js",
        "contentScripts/all_control.js"
      ],
      "run_at": "document_start",
      "matches": [
        "<all_urls>"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "host_permissions": [
    "http://*/*",
    "https://*/*",
    "<all_urls>"
  ],
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "declarative_net_request": {
    "rule_resources": [
      {
        "id": "ruleset_1",
        "path": "rules_1.json",
        "enabled": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "web_accessible_resources": [
    {
      "matches": [
        "<all_urls>"
      ],
      "resources": [
        "background.js",
        "manifest.json",
        "assets/images/icon_128.png",
        "assets/images/icon.png",
        "pages/tabs/tabs.html",
        "pages/webcamstart/webcamstart.html",
        "pages/examend/examend.html"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

by ✦ Astarte

Pearson MyLab LockDownBrowser

Extension Details

Context-Aware Verdict

Findings

Security Analysis Details

Required Permissions:

Host Permissions:

Embedded URLs (21 total):

Raw Manifest

Detections

Manifest Findings