Google is developing a new security mechanism for Chrome that will stop malware from quietly changing the new tab page and the default search engine. BleepingComputer reported the development on August 3.
Google engineers have already submitted a series of code changes related to the new protection system to Chromium Gerrit. It is designed to stop attacks that abuse enterprise policies on ordinary computers to force-install extensions, redirect users to other websites or alter browser settings. The code enables the kBlockDseNtpOverrideExtensionsOnUnmanagedDevices feature by default. It should block such interference on unmanaged Windows and macOS devices.
Google is also preparing a fix for computers whose settings have already been changed by malware. Future Chrome versions will be able to automatically remove extensions that replace the new tab page. The proposed changes are still under review, and Google has not disclosed when the protection will reach the stable version of Chrome.