A malicious Chrome extension mimicking Perplexity AI has been discovered and removed by Google after it hijacked user searches and captured keystrokes. The extension was designed to look like the legitimate Perplexity extension, using a look-alike domain and asking for unnecessary permissions. It operated by setting itself as the default search provider, logging every query before redirecting to actual search engines.
Microsoft stated it shows a trend of AI-themed extension abuses but did not identify a specific threat actor responsible. Users are advised to review and audit their installed extensions to maintain security.