When it comes to finding vulnerabilities associated with a website or utilizing a variety of OSINT tools, the right browser extensions can be invaluable. Below, I’ve curated a list of 20 essential browser extensions tailored for ethical hackers and open-source investigators. However, keep in mind that using multiple extensions can expose you to privacy and security risks. It’s important to be selective about what you install based on your specific needs.
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For added security, consider using a separate browser for these activities or even setting up a virtual machine. The extensions listed here are primarily compatible with Chromium-based browsers. If you’re using a different browser, you might need to find alternative tools.
1. Wayback Machine
- Developer: Internet Archive
- Purpose: Time Travel Through the Web
- Details: The Wayback Machine allows you to view archived versions of web pages from different points in time. This can be especially useful for accessing hidden or deleted content, such as removed web pages or tweets, which could provide critical information for an investigation.
2. User-Agent Switcher
- Developer: Various
- Purpose: Bypass Browser Restrictions
- Details: This extension lets you spoof your browser’s user agent, tricking websites into thinking you’re using a different device or browser. This can be handy for accessing features only available on mobile devices, such as uploading Instagram stories or certain Twitter functionalities.
3. Multi-Login
- Developer: Various
- Purpose: Multiple Account Management
- Details: Multi-Login allows you to sign into multiple accounts simultaneously in different tabs, with each tab assigned a unique session number. This extension is a powerful alternative to using separate browser profiles.
4. GoFullPage
- Developer: GoFullPage
- Purpose: Forensic Website Screenshots
- Details: GoFullPage enables you to take full-page screenshots of websites. This can be particularly useful for documenting web pages as evidence or for further analysis.
5. Project Naptha
- Developer: Kevin Kwok
- Purpose: Extract Text from Images
- Details: Project Naptha lets you select and copy text from images directly in your browser. This feature is invaluable for translating text or including it in reports and documents.
6. Blockchain.info
- Developer: Blockchain.info
- Purpose: Bitcoin Address Analysis
- Details: This extension helps you quickly find and analyze information related to Bitcoin addresses, making it easier to track transactions or identify links between addresses.
7. Decoder
- Developer: Various
- Purpose: Encode and Decode Text
- Details: Decoder provides a quick way to encode text into various hashes, making it a useful tool for hashing passwords or other sensitive data during investigations.
8. Retire.js
- Developer: Elias Oierek
- Purpose: Vulnerable JavaScript Detection
- Details: Retire.js actively scans websites for outdated and vulnerable JavaScript libraries. This information can be crucial for performing attacks like cross-site scripting (XSS) or denial-of-service (DDoS).
9. Wappalyzer
- Developer: Elbert Alias
- Purpose: Technology Stack Analysis
- Details: Wappalyzer reveals the technologies powering a website, including CMS platforms, frameworks, and specific versions of software. Identifying these can help in discovering potential vulnerabilities.
10. Shodan
- Developer: Shodan
- Purpose: Open Port and Vulnerability Scanning
- Details: Shodan’s browser extension quickly identifies open ports and potential vulnerabilities on websites, giving you insights into the services running on a target system.
11. Hunter
- Developer: Hunter.io
- Purpose: Email Address Finder
- Details: Hunter allows you to find email addresses associated with a website. Combine this with Wappalyzer to craft targeted social engineering attacks on developers or administrators.
12. Link Grabber
- Developer: Chris Pedersen
- Purpose: URL Extraction
- Details: Link Grabber lets you extract all URLs from a web page at once, making it easier to analyze the links and content associated with a website.
13. Linkclump
- Developer: Ben Hollis
- Purpose: Batch URL Opening
- Details: Linkclump allows you to open multiple URLs at once by selecting them, streamlining the process of navigating through numerous links during an investigation.
14. Any.Run
- Developer: Any.Run
- Purpose: Interactive Malware Analysis
- Details: Any.Run’s extension helps you quickly determine if a suspicious file or URL is malicious. It integrates with their interactive sandbox, allowing you to see what network connections the malware makes and what commands it executes.
15. Fake News Debunker
- Developer: InVID & WeVerify
- Purpose: Fact-Checking and Analysis
- Details: Fake News Debunker assists in verifying the credibility of information on web pages, helping to distinguish between genuine content and misinformation.
16. Vordomo
- Developer: Vordomo
- Purpose: Comprehensive OSINT Toolkit
- Details: Vordomo offers a wide range of OSINT tools that can search for information on everything from images to IP addresses, usernames, and phone numbers, making it a versatile extension for investigators.
17. NoScript
- Developer: Giorgio Maone
- Purpose: Script Control for Enhanced Privacy
- Details: NoScript gives you control over what scripts run on a web page, enhancing your privacy and security by blocking potentially harmful scripts.
18. uBlock Origin
- Developer: Raymond Hill
- Purpose: Ad and Tracker Blocking
- Details: uBlock Origin blocks unwanted ads and trackers, providing a cleaner, faster, and more private browsing experience. It’s an essential tool for maintaining online anonymity.
19. OneTab
- Developer: OneTab
- Purpose: Tab Management
- Details: OneTab reduces tab clutter by converting all your open tabs into a single list. This not only makes your browser more organized but can also free up memory and reduce distractions.
20. Extensity
- Developer: Thomas Greiner
- Purpose: Extension Management
- Details: Extensity allows you to easily manage your browser extensions by enabling or disabling them with a single click. This is especially useful for improving privacy and performance by only activating the extensions you need at a given time.
Bonus Extensions:
- Distill Web Monitor: Keep track of changes on key web pages, ideal for monitoring updates on targets or important sites.
- ClearURLs: Remove tracking information from URLs to enhance privacy.
- Hackbar: Quickly test various attacks on a website to assess its security.
- Bitwarden: A secure password manager that stores passwords in encrypted form and syncs across devices.
- Perplexity: An AI companion to answer queries while you browse.
- Grammarly: Helps refine the tone and style of your writing, useful for maintaining anonymity in communications.
That’s it for this list! If you have any questions or know of additional tools that could benefit the community, feel free to share them in the comments section below. Stay safe, and I’ll see you in the next video.
