Canvas Tab Rogue Browser Extension

Canvas Tab is the name of a rogue browser extension that functions as a browser hijacker.

Browser hijackers are a type of potentially unwanted program that modifies browser settings without clear disclosure of the changes made and without asking for explicit user consent.

In the case of Canvas Tab, the extension allows users to draw and doodle in their blank new tab as a distraction. What the extension does not clearly disclose is that it will also be swapping out your browser's default search engine for its own.

Canvas Tab promotes srchingot dot com - a fake search engine that cannot produce its own results and instead fetches a Bing results page for your query. The issue with this is twofold. On the one hand, the change in search settings is not disclosed properly and the user is not informed adequately about it. On the other hand, there is no reason to ever use a fake search engine that simply fetches Bing pages for you.

The middle-man nature of the extension means your search queries may be logged and stored - a practice that is common for many browser hijackers that push similar fake search engines.

If you find Canvas Tab among your installed Chrome extensions, your best choice would be to remove it.