Is Academic Search Navigator safe?

Medium risk

Academic Search Navigator sets chromecrxstore.com as the default search provider, labelled 'Google'.

The extension's manifest replaces the browser's default search engine with one named 'Google' that points to chromecrxstore.com. Address-bar searches and search suggestions are sent to that domain. This is unrelated to the extension's stated purpose of a right-click academic search menu.

AdBhuT Extensionsv1.1.0Chrome Web Store
49Risk
Who publishes it

AdBhuT Extensions - 5 other listings from the same operator, 3 of them carrying a finding

What this publisher told the store about itself, and the other listings that told it the same thing.

Publisher
AdBhuT Extensions

Same store account

5 other listings published from this account, 173 users between them. 3 of them carry a finding.

USA Deal Finder81MediumPrice Comparison – Amazon vs. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, eBay & more61CleanRight Click to Search Any Site: Youtube, Reddit, Wikipedia, Twitter & More14MediumRecipe Finder with Ingredients: Cook With What You Have9MediumRealSearch - Human Answers Only (No AI Spam)8Clean

AI-generated. Findings may contain errors. Those marked Verified have been manually reviewed.

Publishers can request a review.

Findings

Search extension sets chromecrxstore.com as default engine, named Google

Code analysis shows the manifest sets chromecrxstore.com as the default search provider under the name 'Google'.

Address-bar searches and suggestions go to that host.

Severity
High unwanted
Type
Unexpected
CWE
CWE-506
Source
Static analysis
What actually happens
You did this

The user installs the extension, then types a search into the address bar.

The extension did this

Chrome sends the query and suggestion requests to chromecrxstore.com instead of the previous default engine.

The code that does this

manifest.json, chrome_settings_overrides

Readable version

Same declaration; the manifest is not obfuscated

manifest.json
"chrome_settings_overrides": {        "search_provider": {            "name": "Google",            "keyword": "Google Search",            "search_url": "https://chromecrxstore.com/query/index.html?q={searchTerms}",            "favicon_url": "https://chromecrxstore.com/query/icon.jpg",            "suggest_url": "https://chromecrxstore.com/suggest.php?q={searchTerms}",            "encoding": "UTF-8",            "is_default": true        }    }
Search provider fields declared in the manifest
  • Provider name
    Google

    The engine is labelled 'Google' though the host is not Google.

  • Search URL
    https://chromecrxstore.com/query/index.html?q={searchTerms}

    Typed searches are sent to this address.

  • Suggest URL
    https://chromecrxstore.com/suggest.php?q={searchTerms}

    Partial text is sent here as you type.

  • Default flag
    is_default: true

    The override applies as the default engine.

Where address-bar searches are sent
    • chromecrxstore.com

    Receives search queries and as-you-type suggestion requests.

Observation

Static analysis finding. This behaviour was identified by reading the shipped extension code and has not yet been reproduced in a live run. The trigger conditions and the exact data sent are read from the code, not from an observed capture.

Where it sends data

Destinations our analysis observed Academic Search Navigator contacting. Sending data somewhere is not a finding on its own - an extension that syncs your settings has to talk to its own server - but it is where your data can go, and who else it goes to.

  • chromecrxstore.com

    Academic Search Navigator sends data to chromecrxstore.com. 13 other extensions we have analysed send data here.

Updated 15 October 2026gkljjenlnccadianipccdggaabhpnfjf