The Hardware Bridge
Modern web browsers include a highly specialized API that allows websites to directly interface with Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) hardware connected to your computer. While this allows for browser-based synthesizers and music production tools, it is a massive security risk for the average user. Malicious websites can exploit this hardware bridge to probe your system, identify connected devices, and potentially use the MIDI protocol as an alternative attack vector or fingerprinting mechanism. If you are not actively producing music inside Google Chrome using an external MIDI keyboard, you must physically sever the browser’s connection to your computer’s MIDI drivers.
How to Block MIDI Access Globally
You can permanently lock the browser out of your musical hardware via the Site Settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (â‹®) 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 to expand Additional permissions.
- Click on MIDI devices.
- Under the “Default behavior” heading, select the radio button for “Don’t allow sites to connect to MIDI devices.”
Protocol Lockdown
The change takes effect instantly. Google Chrome will completely sever its internal connection to the Windows or macOS MIDI driver stack. The browser will instantly auto-reject every single request from any website attempting to scan or connect to your USB music hardware. You will never see a permission pop-up, and malicious scripts will be completely blocked from probing your hardware via the MIDI protocol, ensuring your physical devices remain isolated from the internet.