Buffer
🔍 Security Report Available View on Chrome Web StoreChrome will indicate if you already have this installed.
Overview
The Buffer Chrome extension allows you to schedule posts through Buffer.com to your favorite social sites like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more!
Effortlessly capture content ideas, share articles and images, or schedule future posts with the click of button. All your content is automatically synced between your desktop and mobile account, so you can easily manage your social media content and grow your audience on the go.
Use the Buffer web app to analyze and monitor engagement, respond to comments, and manage your social media presence across all your platforms.
The use of the chrome extension requires a Buffer account - sign up now at Buffer.com!
Tags
Privacy Practices
Security Analysis — Buffer
Permissions
Code Patterns Detected
External Connections
Package Contents 41 files · 244KB
What This Extension Does
Buffer is a social media management tool that allows users to schedule posts, capture content ideas, and sync accounts across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. It operates as a lifestyle/social utility for marketers and creators who need to manage their online presence from any browser. The extension requires broad permissions to function but exhibits several code patterns that warrant closer inspection by security-conscious users.
Permissions Explained
- tabsexpected: This permission lets the extension see which websites you are visiting and interact with specific tabs, such as adding a 'Schedule' button to your browser toolbar.
Technical: Accesses chrome.tabs API. Allows reading tab titles, URLs, and active states. If compromised, an attacker could track browsing history or inject content into open tabs. - contextMenusexpected: Enables the extension to add custom options to your right-click menu on web pages, such as 'Add to Buffer' or 'Schedule Post'.
Technical: Accesses chrome.contextMenus API. Allows registering listeners for specific DOM events (like clicking a link). Risk is low unless combined with storage access to save captured data. - scriptingexpected: Allows the extension to run scripts on web pages you visit to detect social media buttons and capture content for scheduling.
Technical: Accesses chrome.scripting API (formerly chrome.tabs.executeScript). Enables injecting code into third-party sites. High risk if used to harvest page data or bypass CORS restrictions without user consent. - storageexpected: Permits the extension to save your login tokens, scheduled post drafts, and settings locally within your browser.
Technical: Accesses chrome.storage.sync and chrome.storage.local. Stores JSON data including OAuth tokens. If the storage is not encrypted or the extension is compromised, these tokens could be stolen for account takeover. - http://*/*check this: Grants access to all unencrypted websites. This is primarily needed to communicate with Buffer's servers and potentially interact with older social media sites that do not use HTTPS.
Technical: Accesses chrome.webRequest or similar APIs for HTTP resources. Technically allows reading/writing data on any non-HTTPS site. Since most modern web traffic is HTTPS, this permission is often a legacy requirement or used to handle mixed-content scenarios. ⚠ This permission is overly broad and unnecessary for a modern extension that only needs to communicate with Buffer.com (which uses HTTPS). It exposes the user to potential data interception on insecure networks if the extension logic mishandles HTTP traffic. - https://*/*check this: Grants access to all encrypted websites, allowing the extension to read and modify content on any site you visit.
Technical: Accesses chrome.webRequest or similar APIs for HTTPS resources. Allows reading page content, cookies, and headers from any secure site. This is a high-risk permission that gives the extension full visibility into your browsing session. ⚠ While necessary for social media management (to see posts), this permission grants excessive access to unrelated sites (e.g., banking, email). It significantly expands the attack surface if the extension is compromised or contains vulnerabilities.
Your Data
The extension accesses your browsing data on both secure and insecure websites to identify social media content. It sends this data to Buffer's servers (publish.buffer.com, login.buffer.com) and third-party platforms like Twitter (pbs.twimg.com), Pinterest (s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com), and Apple developer services. Data transmitted includes page content, cookies, and potentially user input.
Technical Details
Code Findings
The extension creates new script elements on the fly. This is a common technique but can be used to hide malicious code or bypass browser security filters.
Technical: Code pattern: document.createElement('script') followed by src assignment and appendChild. Risk vector: If the source URL is not strictly validated, it could lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE) or drive-by downloads. Exploit scenario: An attacker hosting a malicious script on a compromised domain could be loaded if the extension logic fails to validate the URL.
💡 Legitimate extensions often create scripts to inject UI elements like 'Share' buttons or to run content scripts that are not listed in the manifest.
The extension uses innerHTML to insert content. If user input is not sanitized, this could allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into your browser.
Technical: Code pattern: element.innerHTML = userInput. Risk vector: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Exploit scenario: If the extension captures a URL containing JavaScript and inserts it directly into the DOM without escaping, an attacker could execute code in your session context.
💡 innerHTML is frequently used for rendering rich text previews or formatting user-generated content within the extension's UI.
The code uses methods like String.fromCharCode and charCodeAt to hide its logic. This makes it harder for users to inspect the code or understand what it is doing.
Technical: Code pattern: String.fromCharCode(97, 108, 101, 114, 116) -> 'alert'. Risk vector: Obfuscation often accompanies malware or attempts to evade static analysis tools. It complicates debugging and security auditing.
💡 Developers sometimes obfuscate code to protect intellectual property or to reduce file size, though this is poor practice for open-source or public extensions.
The extension does not enforce a strict security policy to limit what scripts can run. This increases the risk of accidental or malicious script execution.
Technical: Observation: No CSP header found in extension context. Risk vector: Without a CSP, any injected script (even from compromised sources) might execute if the browser allows it. Exploit scenario: An attacker could potentially inject a script that runs with the same privileges as the extension.
💡 Some extensions omit CSPs to ensure maximum compatibility with all websites, though this is a security trade-off.
Buffer is a legitimate social media management tool that solves a clear problem for content creators, but its security posture requires caution. While the core functionality aligns with its permissions, the inclusion of broad HTTP/HTTPS access and the presence of code obfuscation and dynamic script creation suggest a higher-than-average risk profile. Users should ensure they are using the official extension from the Chrome Web Store and avoid entering sensitive credentials on untrusted networks.
