Google has removed a malicious browser extension masquerading as Perplexity AI after Microsoft researchers found it was intercepting users’ search traffic and routing queries through attacker-controlled servers before forwarding them to legitimate search engines.
Microsoft Threat Intelligence said the extension masqueraded as the AI-powered answer engine to trick users into installing it. Based on its analysis, the company said the extension’s primary objective was to intercept search traffic and collect browsing data while maintaining a normal browsing experience, making the activity difficult for users to detect.
“Microsoft Threat Intelligence has identified a malicious Chromium-based exte...