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Get Browser Extension List With PowerShell Easily

8 min read 11-15- 2024
Get Browser Extension List With PowerShell Easily

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Getting a list of installed browser extensions can be useful for administrators, developers, and users who want to track what extensions are active in their browsers. With PowerShell, you can quickly retrieve this information, whether it's for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. In this blog post, we will explore how to utilize PowerShell commands to fetch a list of browser extensions easily.

What is PowerShell?

PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, consisting of a command-line shell and associated scripting language. PowerShell helps users automate the administration of the Windows operating system and applications running on Windows. It's a powerful tool that can be used to access and manipulate a variety of data sources and services.

Why Use PowerShell for Browser Extensions?

Using PowerShell for retrieving a list of browser extensions has several benefits:

  1. Automation: You can run scripts to collect information from multiple machines without having to manually check each one.
  2. Efficiency: With just a few commands, you can extract the necessary information quickly.
  3. Centralized Management: If you are managing multiple devices in an organization, PowerShell can help to gather extension data in one central location.

Supported Browsers

Before diving into the commands, it’s important to note that different browsers store their extension data in different locations. Here, we will cover how to retrieve extensions for the following browsers:

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge

Fetching Extensions for Google Chrome

Chrome extensions are stored in a specific directory on the user's system. You can use the following PowerShell command to list all installed Chrome extensions:

$chromePath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions"
Get-ChildItem -Path $chromePath | ForEach-Object {
    $extensionId = $_.Name
    $manifestPath = Join-Path -Path $_.FullName -ChildPath "manifest.json"
    if (Test-Path $manifestPath) {
        $manifest = Get-Content -Path $manifestPath | ConvertFrom-Json
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            Id          = $extensionId
            Name        = $manifest.name
            Version     = $manifest.version
            Description = $manifest.description
        }
    }
} | Format-Table -AutoSize

Explanation of the Command

  • $chromePath: This variable holds the path to the directory where Chrome extensions are stored.
  • Get-ChildItem: This cmdlet retrieves all items in the specified path.
  • ForEach-Object: Iterates through each extension directory.
  • Test-Path: Checks if the manifest.json file exists for the extension.
  • ConvertFrom-Json: Converts the JSON content of the manifest into a usable PowerShell object.

Fetching Extensions for Mozilla Firefox

Firefox stores its extensions in a different location, typically in the profile directory. Use the following command to retrieve a list of installed extensions:

$firefoxPath = "$env:APPDATA\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles"
Get-ChildItem -Path $firefoxPath -Recurse -Include "extensions.json" | ForEach-Object {
    $extensions = Get-Content $_.FullName | ConvertFrom-Json
    $extensions.addons | Where-Object { $_.type -eq "extension" } | ForEach-Object {
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            Id          = $_.id
            Name        = $_.name
            Version     = $_.version
            Description = $_.description
        }
    }
} | Format-Table -AutoSize

Key Notes about Firefox Extensions

  • The command navigates through all profiles to find extensions.json.
  • It filters out only those entries that are classified as extensions.

Fetching Extensions for Microsoft Edge

Like Chrome, Edge also uses a similar directory structure for storing extensions. To get the list of installed Edge extensions, use the following PowerShell command:

$edgePath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Extensions"
Get-ChildItem -Path $edgePath | ForEach-Object {
    $extensionId = $_.Name
    $manifestPath = Join-Path -Path $_.FullName -ChildPath "manifest.json"
    if (Test-Path $manifestPath) {
        $manifest = Get-Content -Path $manifestPath | ConvertFrom-Json
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            Id          = $extensionId
            Name        = $manifest.name
            Version     = $manifest.version
            Description = $manifest.description
        }
    }
} | Format-Table -AutoSize

Edge vs. Chrome

Both Edge and Chrome use a similar method to handle extensions because Edge is built on the Chromium engine. Therefore, retrieving extensions is nearly the same process.

Table of Browser Extensions

Here’s a summary table of the browsers and their respective storage paths for extensions:

<table> <tr> <th>Browser</th> <th>Path to Extensions</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Google Chrome</td> <td>$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Mozilla Firefox</td> <td>$env:APPDATA\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles*\extensions.json</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Microsoft Edge</td> <td>$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Extensions</td> </tr> </table>

Best Practices for Using PowerShell

  1. Run as Administrator: To avoid permission issues, always run PowerShell as an administrator.
  2. Testing: Before running commands on production systems, test them in a safe environment to ensure they work as expected.
  3. Script Logging: If you are creating a script for automation, include logging features to track any issues that arise.
  4. Use Comments: Adding comments in your script helps clarify your intention for future reference.

Conclusion

Using PowerShell to get a list of browser extensions is a straightforward process that can save time and effort, especially in environments with multiple users. By harnessing PowerShell commands, administrators and users can efficiently gather information about installed extensions across different browsers.

Whether you need this information for auditing purposes, troubleshooting, or keeping track of security, PowerShell provides a flexible and efficient way to accomplish your tasks. Remember to always follow best practices and thoroughly test your scripts before deploying them in a production environment. Happy scripting!

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