The Hardware Bridge
Modern web browsers are incredibly powerful. Google Chrome features an advanced API known as WebHID, which allows web applications to directly interact with Human Interface Devices (HID) plugged into your computer via USB. This allows cloud-based gaming sites to natively read input from a PlayStation controller, or specialized web apps to configure a macro keyboard. When a site attempts this, Chrome intercepts it and throws a prompt asking, “Allow site to connect to an HID device?” While impressive, this API represents a massive security surface. If a malicious website gains raw access to your USB peripherals, it could potentially inject keystrokes or exploit firmware vulnerabilities. You must completely disable this bridge if you do not use it.
How to Turn Off HID Device Prompts
You can permanently revoke Chrome’s ability to bridge USB devices to websites via the site settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on Site settings.
- Scroll down and click on Additional permissions to expand the hidden menu.
- Click on HID devices.
- At the very top of the screen, under “Default behavior,” select the radio button next to “Don’t allow sites to connect to HID devices.”
A Quarantined Browser
The change is instantaneous. Google Chrome will completely shut down the WebHID API. If a website attempts to execute a script to poll your USB ports for connected controllers or keyboards, the browser will silently terminate the request in the background. The prompt will never appear, guaranteeing an absolute firewall between your physical hardware and the internet.