Chrome Permission Audit

Chrome 'cookies' permission: why AI reading extensions shouldn't need your session cookies.

What does the Chrome 'cookies' permission allow? Learn why requesting cookie access across websites is a major red flag for AI browser extensions—and how safe tools authenticate instead.

Best fit

Best for security-conscious users auditing whether a Chrome extension can access logged-in session tokens.

Technical Manifest Audit

Permission specification & risk profile.

Review how Chrome enforces cookies in Manifest V3 and how to tell legitimate user-triggered extensions apart from intrusive tools.

Risk level: Highercookies
Chrome install-time warning
"Read and change all your data on all websites" (when paired with host permissions)
Manifest V3 declaration
{
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "permissions": ["cookies"],
  "host_permissions": ["<all_urls>"]
}
Legitimate uses vs. red flags
What to verify before granting this permission to an AI browser tool.

Legitimate AI reading uses

  • Developer cookie-inspector tools built specifically for debugging `HttpOnly` and `SameSite` flags
  • Reading an authentication cookie ONLY on the extension's own first-party domain (e.g., `app.example.com`)

Red flags to watch for

  • An AI summarizer requesting `cookies` + `<all_urls>`—which allows reading `HttpOnly` session cookies from your email, bank, or social accounts
  • Using your logged-in third-party session cookies to scrape social networks in the background
How Vezz me handles this: Vezz me does NOT request the `cookies` permission. Account status and free/pro usage are tracked via a clean email identifier stored in isolated `chrome.storage`—never by reading browser cookies.
Step-by-step workflow

How to run this workflow in place.

1

Check why cookies is more dangerous than normal DOM access

Even a content script cannot read `HttpOnly` session cookies via `document.cookie`. However, the `chrome.cookies` API CAN read `HttpOnly` cookies for any domain in `host_permissions`.

2

Verify the host scope if cookies is present

If an extension requests `cookies`, its `host_permissions` should be restricted strictly to its own login domain—never `<all_urls>`.

3

Prefer cookie-free extension authentication

Vezz me never requests `cookies` permission.

Key details

Why this approach works better than switching tabs.

How `chrome.cookies` bypasses `HttpOnly` protection
Web applications mark sensitive session cookies as `HttpOnly` specifically so JavaScript running on the page cannot steal them. The `chrome.cookies` extension API bypasses that barrier for permitted hosts.
  • `cookies` + `<all_urls>` is one of the highest-risk permission combinations in the Chrome Web Store
  • An in-page AI reading assistant has zero need to read cookies from the websites you visit
  • Vezz me operates purely on the visible text you select on screen and never touches your cookies
Frequently asked questions

Common questions about chrome permission audit.

Does Vezz me use the cookies permission?

No. Vezz me does not request the `cookies` permission and cannot access cookies on any website.

Related workflows & guides

Explore connected pages.

webRequest permission audit
Why AI extensions shouldn't intercept network traffic.
Open guide
Banking & financial sites security
How to keep browser extensions safe around financial portals.
Open guide
All Extension Security & Permissions
Browse the complete directory of extension security & permissions on Vezz me.
View hub directory
Available for Chrome and Firefox

Ready to try this workflow on your own reading?

Install Vezz me free, highlight text on any webpage, and press your customizable shortcut (default: Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac) to get an answer right beside the source.

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