Is Direct Search Online safe?

Low risk

Direct Search Online is low risk. On install, the background script enumerates every open popup-type window and closes it. DA confirmed this includes the Chrome Web Store's own install-confirmation popup, gone with no click. Any other open popup-type window closes too.

Direct Search Onlinev1.0.4Chrome Web Store
20Risk

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

Publishers can request a review.

Findings

SeverityLOW
ClassUNWANTED
TypeUnexpected
CWECWE-940
SourceAI SANDBOX

Closes the Chrome Web Store install popup automatically

On install, the background script enumerates every open popup-type window and closes it.

DA confirmed this includes the Chrome Web Store's own install-confirmation popup, gone with no click.

Any other open popup-type window closes too.

01EvidenceCAUSE EFFECT
What actually happens
You did this

You install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.

This fires chrome.runtime.onInstalled, a lifecycle event every extension can listen for.

The extension did this

The extension closes every popup-type browser window that's currently open.

That includes the Chrome Web Store's own install-confirmation popup, and any other popup window you had open at the time.

02EvidenceCODE COMPARE
The code that does this

The onInstalled handler and the window-closing routine

What it actually does
Same code, annotatedservice_worker.js
// Fires once, automatically, right after install
chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(function (details) {
    trackInstall(details);   // install-tracking beacons (separate claim)
    closeCwsWindows();       // <-- closes every popup-type window, incl. the CWS install popup
});

function closeCwsWindows() {
    // Ask Chrome for every open window, with its tabs
    chrome.windows.getAll({ populate: true }, function (windows) {
        var tabIdsToRemove = [];
        windows.forEach(function (window) {
            window.tabs.forEach(function (tab) {
                // Any window of type "popup" gets every one of its tabs queued for removal
                if (window.type === "popup") {
                    tabIdsToRemove.push(tab.id);
                }
            });
        });
        chrome.tabs.remove(tabIdsToRemove);
    });
}
03EvidenceFIELD TABLE
What we observed during a driven install replay
FieldValueWhy it matters
Window type checked
type === "popup"The extension only targets windows Chrome classifies as "popup", not normal tabbed browser windows.
Chrome API called to close windows
chrome.tabs.remove([1585209830])It removes every tab belonging to a matched popup window, which closes the window itself.
Result on a real popup we created
Window id 1585209829 removedA popup-type test window was gone from chrome.windows.getAll() immediately after the extension's real onInstalled listener ran.

What it can do

Permissions this extension asks for, as declared in version 1.0.4. Asking for a permission is not a finding on its own - it is what the extension can do if it chooses to.

  • Read and change your data on search.directsearchonline.com

    https://search.directsearchonline.com/*

  • Store data in your browser

    storage

  • Block and redirect the requests your browser makes

    declarativeNetRequest

Updated 30 September 2026bffkjdkbmldjgfibfhggllfpldoepcld