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I installed the Firefox addon search status 1.3 to see the page rank of the pages I visit. Later the day i noticed 5 or 6 names on my toolbar just like shortcuts. When i tried to right click it new tabs opened with pages. Are these addons dangerous?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by AirForceOne

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Short answer: yes — browser extensions can be useful, but they can also do things you did not expect. The behavior described (extra buttons/shortcuts and new tabs opening on a right‑click) is a clear sign to investigate. What and touched on is correct: origin and reviews help, but they are not a guarantee; and what suggested (extra security layers) is sensible as a secondary measure.

Steps to diagnose (quick, ordered):

  1. Open Add‑ons and Themes (type about:addons) and inspect each extension's Details/Permissions. Look for broad permissions like access to all website data or tab control.
  2. Restart Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode (safe mode) to see if the behavior disappears. If it does, an extension or theme is the cause.
  3. Disable extensions one at a time, testing after each change, until the behavior stops. Disable before removing so you can test safely.
  4. If you can, inspect the extension runtime via about:debugging to see background activity or console errors (advanced).
  5. Check for bookmarks/toolbars or new search engines the add‑on may have created and remove them.

Removal and cleanup:

  • Remove the offending extension. If removal fails, use Troubleshoot Mode or create a new Firefox profile and migrate bookmarks.
  • Use Firefox's Refresh feature only if other steps fail; it removes extensions and resets settings but preserves bookmarks/passwords.
  • On Windows, scan with an up‑to‑date AV and an on‑demand anti‑malware tool for PUPs, check installed programs and startup/scheduled tasks, and clear browser cache/cookies.
  • If sensitive data might have been exposed, rotate passwords and enable 2FA where possible.

Prevention tips:

  • Install only extensions you need, check recent update history and developer contact info, and avoid extensions that request global data access unless essential. Ratings help, but review timestamps and comments for recent changes.

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Member Avatar for Laser

I installed the Firefox addon search status 1.3 to see the page rank of the pages I visit. Later the day i noticed 5 or 6 names on my toolbar just like shortcuts. When i tried to right click it new tabs opened with pages. Are these addons dangerous?

Possibly; it would depend on the source of the addon.

I have only ever used addons from mozilla.org after reading the reviews, and so far so good.

Member Avatar for AirForceOne

I don't think search status 1.3 caused this problem. This add-on rates 5 stars on firefox site. Of course, some 3rd part add-ons might cause security problems.

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