Chrome adds a warning when an extension takes over the Internet connection

This change is available on Google Chrome Canary build (v62.x) in the form of a pop-up window displayed in the right corner of the screen, near Chrome's drop down menu.

Alerts help fight poisoning extensions

The first warning is for users' proxy setup utilities, from which hijack the Internet connection on the computer.

Malicious utilities use hijack proxies to redirect infected traffic through their servers, where they add or replace legitimate ads with their own ads.

Chrome adds a warning when an extension takes over the Internet connection Picture 1
Chrome warning when the proxy settings changed

The second pop-up is for utilities that change the user's Home tab. Often these utilities hijack New Tab of the browser to insert their own website or redirect the user to another search engine.

Chrome adds a warning when an extension takes over the Internet connection Picture 2
Warning when changing Chrome's New Tab page

Warning messages appear in the form of pop-ups that Google added to allow users to quickly reverse the action of the malicious utility. This is important because not all users know how to reverse proxy settings, default tabs on Chrome or even uninstall utilities.

Chrome Web Store in the fight against poisoning utility

These pop-ups are part of Google's plan to fight Chrome's malicious utilities when they start to appear rampant. Here's an email that Google sends to gadget developers on Chrome in July.

Chrome adds a warning when an extension takes over the Internet connection Picture 3
Email Google notifies developers about changing settings via the Settings Overrides API

This email announced that since August 1, the startup, Homepage, search settings or other settings have to be done via the Settings Overrides API. Google added the Settings Overrides API on Chrome to Windows in 2014 and posted it on the Mac earlier this year.