Dark Reader

What This Extension Does

Permissions Explained

• alarms: Allows the extension to schedule and manage alarms, which might be used to notify users about new features or updates.
• fontSettings: Enables the extension to modify font settings on the user's browser, likely necessary for applying a dark theme.
• scripting: Grants permission to execute scripts in web pages, which is standard for extensions that interact with websites.
• storage: Allows the extension to store data locally on the user's device, possibly used to cache theme settings or user preferences.
• contextMenus: Enables the extension to create custom context menus within the browser, potentially used to provide quick access to features like theme switching.
• *://*/: This permission is unusual and allows the extension to interact with any website. While it might be necessary for applying a dark theme universally, it's worth noting that this level of access could potentially be misused.

What We Found in the Code

• The extension makes HTTP requests, which is expected given its functionality. It likely fetches data from its own servers or APIs to apply the dark theme.
• There are multiple content scripts injected into all URLs, which is standard for extensions that need to interact with web pages.
• The technical profile shows a background service worker and a Content Security Policy (CSP) in place, both of which are expected for an extension of this type.

External Connections

• darkreader.org: Expected, as it's the extension's own domain.
• www.w3.org, github.com, microsoftedge.microsoft.com, raw.githubusercontent.com, google.com, and fonts.googleapis.com: These connections seem reasonable for an extension that needs to fetch fonts or APIs. However, without more context, it's hard to say whether all of these are strictly necessary.

Things to Consider

• Given the extension's purpose, the broad permission *://*/ seems somewhat excessive. While it might be necessary for applying a dark theme universally, users should be aware that this level of access could potentially be misused.
• The extension stores data locally on the user's device via the storage permission. Users should consider whether they're comfortable with an extension storing data on their system.
• As with any extension, users should review the permissions and understand what each allows. This is especially important for extensions that interact with websites as extensively as Dark Reader does.