UncClickable — Benjamin Buch

UncClickable is a web browser extension that detects UNC network paths shown on web pages and turns them into clickable links by rewriting them into a custom URL scheme (for example uncopener://server/path/...). When the user clicks such a link, the browser hands off the request to an external application registered for that scheme.

Because a browser extension cannot safely and reliably open network paths on its own, UncClickable requires a separate backend/companion application (any implementation that can register and handle the chosen custom scheme). That backend is responsible for actually processing the request and opening the target in the operating system (e.g., a UNC path on Windows or an SMB URL on Linux).

Security-wise, the extension should be treated as a “link generator” and not as the enforcement layer. The backend must implement the necessary protections as needed for the environment, such as strict input validation/normalization, allow-lists for permitted shares/paths, blocking path traversal patterns, and file type policies (whitelists/blacklists), to prevent abuse via crafted links or untrusted web content.

The UncOpener project provides a compatible backend:

• https://github.com/bebuch/UncOpener