Detection: Windows Chrome Enable Extension Loading via Command-Line

Updated Date: 2026-01-12 ID: da355155-1d23-48f9-bf95-e534ae273ab0 Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk Type: Anomaly Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic detects instances where Google Chrome is started with the --disable-features=DisableLoadExtensionCommandLineSwitch flag, effectively enabling the loading of extensions via the command line. This may indicate attempts to bypass enterprise extension policies, load unauthorized or malicious extensions, or manipulate browser behavior. Monitoring this activity helps identify potential security policy violations, malware persistence techniques, or other suspicious Chrome modifications.

Search

 1
 2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
 3from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where
 4  Processes.process_name = "Chrome.exe"
 5  Processes.process= "*--disable-features*"
 6  Processes.process= "*DisableLoadExtensionCommandLineSwitch*"
 7by Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process
 8   Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id
 9   Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path Processes.process Processes.process_exec
10   Processes.process_guid Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
11   Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
12
13| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
14
15| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
16
17| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
18
19| `windows_chrome_enable_extension_loading_via_command_line_filter`

Data Source

Name	Platform	Sourcetype	Source
CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2	Other	`'crowdstrike:events:sensor'`	`'crowdstrike'`
Sysmon EventID 1	Windows	`'XmlWinEventLog'`	`'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational'`
Windows Event Log Security 4688	Windows	`'XmlWinEventLog'`	`'XmlWinEventLog:Security'`

Macros Used

Name	Value
security_content_ctime	`convert timeformat="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S" ctime($field$)`
windows_chrome_enable_extension_loading_via_command_line_filter	`search *`

windows_chrome_enable_extension_loading_via_command_line_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Annotations

- MITRE ATT&CK

+ Kill Chain Phases

+ NIST

+ CIS

- Threat Actors

ID	Technique	Tactic
T1185	Browser Session Hijacking	Collection

Exploitation

DE.AE

CIS 10

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Setting	Value
Disabled	true
Cron Schedule	`0 * * * *`
Earliest Time	`-70m@m`
Latest Time	`-10m@m`
Schedule Window	`auto`
Creates Risk Event	True

This configuration file applies to all detections of type anomaly. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting.

Implementation

To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the Endpoint datamodel in the Processes node. In addition, confirm the latest CIM App 4.20 or higher is installed and the latest TA for the endpoint product.

Known False Positives

Developers or IT admins loading unpacked extensions for testing or deployment purposes.

Associated Analytic Story

Browser Hijacking

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

A $process_name$ process attempted to enable browser extension loading via command line $process$ on $dest$.

Risk Object	Risk Object Type	Risk Score	Threat Objects
dest	system	30	parent_process_name, process_name, process

References

https://www.gdatasoftware.com/blog/2025/11/38298-learning-about-browser-hijacking

Detection Testing

Test Type	Status	Dataset	Source	Sourcetype
Validation	✅ Passing	N/A	N/A	N/A
Unit	✅ Passing	Dataset	`XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational`	`XmlWinEventLog`
Integration	✅ Passing	Dataset	`XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational`	`XmlWinEventLog`

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 1