Chrome Web StoreCaution required
Suspicious in code review
Our reviewer found behaviour consistent with malware, but not enough to confirm it. Treat this extension as untrusted until it has been re-reviewed.
1 high-severity finding in this extension’s code
Every finding is verified by a security analyst. Unlock the code evidence, indicators and version history.
What our analysis found
Aston Villa, used by 1,434 people, is rated caution by Extension Auditor. Our code review reported 2 findings (1 high, 1 medium), led by other. It comes from a trusted publisher and was last updated in June 2026.
Key findings
- High
Other
The bundled manifest is MV3 and declares 'search' and 'favicon' as required permissions, while the published CWS listing is MV2 with only 'topSites' as a required permission and 'chrome://favicon/' as optional. The 'search' permission — absent entirely from the published listing — enables overriding the browser's default search provider, giving brandTURBO control over all address-bar searches. This discrepancy means the permission bypassed CWS policy review for the published version.
- Medium
Tracking
Every user action — including search queries (type='search', val=<query text>) — is beaconed to [domain withheld], a domain operated by brandTURBO's searchturbo platform. Search terms are user-generated content not disclosed as a collected data category in the CWS privacy policy. While the destination is the publisher's own search infrastructure (not a fully independent third party), the collection of verbatim search queries without explicit privacy disclosure warrants flagging given the publisher's overall malicious track record.
Analyst notes
The bundled manifest (MV3) includes a 'search' required permission that is entirely absent from the published CWS listing (which is MV2 and lists only 'topSites' as required) — this permission silently grants search provider override capability and was not subject to CWS review. The extension is a brandTURBO white-label search-monetization new tab page that routes all user searches through [domain withheld] and sends analytics events (including search query values) to that platform via sendBeacon. Publisher reputation strongly corroborates concern: 55 of 98 sibling extensions (56%) are flagged malicious, the permhash cluster is 57% flagged, and the extension has since been removed from the Chrome Web Store; however, no credential theft, covert payload delivery, or DOM injection into third-party pages was found in the code.
Aston Villa Chrome extension security report
ID: plfpmnmmhipddofapdklpiaamofleaed
Supported Languages
Extension Info & Metadata
Publisher Contextual Analysis
- Author
- brandTURBO
- Privacy
- Privacy Policy
- Help
- Help Center
- Country
- DE
- MX records exist
- Yes
- Domain exists
- Yes
- Is disposable
- No
- Is role-based
- Yes
- Mailbox exists
- Yes
- Address
- Straßburger Str. 55 Berlin 10405 DE
- Website
- Visit
Screenshots & videos
Install growth
- 1 high
- 1 medium
The file, code excerpt and explanation behind each finding are part of the full report. No conclusion has been withheld — only the evidence. The verdict above already reflects everything found here.
1 high-severity finding in this extension’s code
Every finding is verified by a security analyst. Unlock the code evidence, indicators and version history.
About this extension
Deck out your new tab with everything Aston Villa! Your new hub for the latest AVFC news, highlights, offers and more.
Read the publisher’s full description
Aston Villa is proud to offer supporters a brand new way to surf and navigate the web and still be in touch with all things Villa. Install the Aston Villa new tab extension to get a claret & blue themed start page with all the latest news and information on a daily basis. You can install the Aston Villa Chrome new tab extension homepage to Chrome OS, Mac or Windows and give your Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser a fresh AVFC look and feel. Never miss information about the Club, players, fixtures, tickets and much more with everything you need on your new Home Page! This is a white label enterprise extension for Aston Villa.
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Extension files
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URLs
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1 high-severity finding in this extension’s code
Every finding is verified by a security analyst. Unlock the code evidence, indicators and version history.
Code Diff
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