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
Games Search, used by 10,000 people, is rated caution by Extension Auditor. Our code review reported 2 findings (1 high, 1 medium), led by tracking. It was last updated in October 2025.
Key findings
- High
Tracking
A chrome.cookies.onChanged listener detects deletion of its own ext_unique_id / ext_user_agent cookies and re-creates them after a 1.5s debounce, taking the identifier back out of chrome.storage.local - so clearing cookies can never reset the user's identity, and the code explicitly mirrors the ID into chrome.storage.sync at lines 65-72 commented 'survives local uninstall'. This is evercookie-style respawning that deliberately defeats the user's own privacy control, and the respawned cookie is sent with every address-bar query to [domain withheld], tying the full search stream to one durable identity. The CWS listing declares no data collection at all, so this persistent identifier is entirely undisclosed.
- Medium
Unauthorized Data Collection
On install the extension POSTs the generated persistent install ID, extension version and user agent to [domain withheld], and setUninstallUrl (lines 125-139) attaches the same ID and user agent to the uninstall ping. The destination is the publisher's own first-party domain and the user agent is already present in every HTTP request header, so the transport itself is unremarkable; what makes it a finding is that the CWS-disclosed data-collection list is 'none declared', meaning this durable cross-session install identifier is undisclosed telemetry rather than authorised analytics.
Analyst notes
The extension is a search hijacker with an anti-deletion tracking identifier::32-41 sets chrome_settings_overrides.search_provider with is_default:true, an empty name:"" (which leaves the engine unnamed in Chrome's search settings) and search_url [domain withheld]}, so every address-bar query is routed through the publisher's own PHP endpoint even though the listing advertises "Powered by Yahoo" - what search.php does server-side cannot be verified from the bundle.:214-264 then re-creates the ext_unique_id / ext_user_agent cookies 1.5s after the user deletes them, restoring the ID from chrome.storage.local, so clearing cookies can never reset the user's identity, while CWS-disclosed data collection is "none declared". Corroborating: the imported malext feed label, 12% malware in the 6256-member permhash cluster, the user rating, and chrome-stats flagging permission-override-search-provider; contradicting: there are no content scripts, host access is limited to the publisher's own domain, the cookies permission is only ever used against [domain withheld], there is no remote code loading or obfuscation, and the publisher email validates - so there is no credential or page-content theft, only harm. Hygiene notes::65-72 writes the ID to chrome.storage.sync with the comment "survives local uninstall" but nothing ever reads it back, and:194-198 closes every popup-type window on install, an install-funnel artifact; ML hits map to benign code - html_hidden_elements is the scrollbar display:none at:76, js_encoded_strings is the btoa() user-agent cookie encoding at:103, js_post_requests is the track.php call, and uses_cookies_set_long_expiry is the 1-year expirationDate at
Games Search Chrome extension security report
ID: eheokfekdhicohflnahpfmifnlnbkfoj
Supported Languages
Extension Info & Metadata
Publisher Contextual Analysis
- Author
- copelandn471@gmail.com
- Privacy
- Privacy Policy
- MX records exist
- Yes
- Domain exists
- Yes
- Is disposable
- No
- Is role-based
- No
- Mailbox exists
- Yes
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
This extension modifies your default search settings to use Yahoo — giving you a fast and reliable way to search the web right from…
Read the publisher’s full description
This extension modifies your default search settings to use Yahoo — giving you a fast and reliable way to search the web right from your Chrome browser. With Games Search, you can instantly look up games, weather, and more, all with rich autosuggestions that make finding what you need quicker and easier. Key Features: 🔍 Search instantly for games, weather, or anything else from your address bar. ⚡ Smart autosuggestions help you find results faster. 🌐 Powered by Yahoo for a dependable search experience. 🎮 Discover new games and trending topics effortlessly. Permissions: This extension updates your browser’s default search to Yahoo to provide an enhanced browsing experience.
User reviews
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.
Gain full insight into all external connections.
Upgrade for full visibility.
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