Microsoft is planning to introduce a new Edge security feature that will protect users against malicious extensions sideloaded into the web browser.
Edge enables developers to
install extensions locally (also known as sideloading) for testing purposes before publishing them to the
Microsoft Edge Add-ons store by toggling the "Developer Mode" option on the Extensions management page and clicking the "Load unpacked" button.
However, users can also sideload third-party extensions that aren't distributed through official channels and aren't scanned for malware.
While users can remove dangerous extensions via the Extensions management tab by clicking the "Remove" link in the extension card, it's usually too late if threat actors have tricked the user into installing them, as shown by attacks that have affected hundreds of thousands of users in recent years and can also
force-install malicious extensions hosted on official add-on stores.
However, as Redmond
revealed on Thursday in the Microsoft 365 roadmap, "Microsoft Edge will detect and revoke malicious sideloaded extensions."
