Welcome to the Series about Browser Extensions for Microsoft Edge and Chrome!

It is important to understand, that installing Browser extensions is always on your own risk!

Browser extensions can greatly enhance your Dynamics 365 and Power Platform workflow - whether you’re using DevTools add-ons, CRM shortcuts, or Power Automate helpers. But because these extensions often require global permissions (accessing page data, cookies, or form fields), it’s critical to install only those you fully trust and to verify they haven’t been compromised by any malware.

In 2024, several widely used extensions were found to contain malware. One of them has been the PowerPane. Although the stores removed the infected versions and showed notifications in the browser, “cleaned” variants reappeared without clear assurances of safety. In addition, traditional antivirus software typically won’t catch malicious code embedded in a browser add-on, so always check an extension’s publisher credentials, read recent reviews for signs of suspicious behavior, and—if it’s open-source—briefly scan the code or changelog yourself!

For extra protection, isolate any extensions that touch sensitive Dynamics 365 or Power Platform data.
I personally run all browser add-ons inside a dedicated virtual machine or second browser profile that only connects to test/Dev environments—never to production environments or production data.

Stay vigilant: only install extensions from reputable developers, review their requested permissions, and keep an eye out for warning reports.

If you are interested, continue reading the blog post by Jukka Niiranen or watch the YouTube recording of him speaking at a Meetup in January 2025: