Malicious Chrome Extension Impersonated Perplexity AI to Intercept User Searches

Malicious Perplexity Chrome Extension Intercepted Searches and Address Bar Input

Microsoft has found a malicious Chrome extension that posed as the AI search engine Perplexity and quietly logged what people searched for. It routed every query and every character typed into the address bar through an attacker-controlled server before redirecting users to real results. Microsoft says Google removed it from the store after responsible disclosure. The extension was called "Search for perplexity ai" (ID flkebkiofojicogddingbdmcmkpbplcd) and used a look-alike domain, perplexity-ai[.]online, to pass for the real service at perplexity.ai. Microsoft's Defender research team says the point was to intercept searches and collect data. It found no proof of password theft, but far more access than a search box should ever need. Once installed, the extension sets itself as the browser's default search engine. When you searched, the query went first to perplexity-ai[.]online, where the attacker's server logged it with your browser headers, IP address, and user agent. A rule then bounced you to a real search engine (Perplexity, Google, or Bing), so the results looked normal. The theft happened on that first stop, before the redirect. The address bar made it worse. The extension also pointed the browser's live search suggestions (the suggest_url) to the same attacker domain. So your input went to the attacker's server before you pressed Enter. Not just finished searches, but every character as you typed it. Chrome permits search-provider overrides, and legitimate extensions use them. Rewriting and redirecting your traffic is the part a search box has no business doing. This one asked for the declarativeNetRequest family of permissions to do exactly that, then shipped server-side code that logged every request. Microsoft calls that proof the collection was deliberate, not a side effect of the redirect. The extension also shipped disabled redirect rules for Google and Bing, so the same setup could be switched on for those engines too. It even left room to run WebAssembly code later, which a simple search tool has no reason to do. This fits a steady run of malicious extensions that hide behind AI branding. Some swap the default search engine to capture what you type. Others hijack the search provider or skim ChatGPT and DeepSeek chats. Microsoft's own research tied that chat-skimming wave to roughly 900,000 installs across more than 20,000 company networks. The difference here is the target: not your AI chats, but your searches and the characters you type into the address bar, collected through Chrome's own extension machinery. If you installed "Search for perplexity ai," remove it and check that your default search engine has not been changed. For teams, Microsoft suggests the basics: * Allow only approved extensions through the browser or company policy. * Watch for changed search settings, strange extension permissions, and traffic to unfamiliar domains. * Treat AI-branded tools with extra suspicion, and check the publisher and domain before installing. No one has been named as the operator, and Microsoft did not say how many people installed it before the takedown. The AI branding got the install. The search override did the collecting.

Fake Perplexity extension on Chrome Web Store tracked searches

A malicious extension in the Chrome Web Store is masquerading as the Perplexity AI answer engine, intercepting search traffic and collecting browsing information. Called "Search for perplexity ai," the extension routed search queries and real-time suggestions through its infrastructure before redirecting users to the legitimate search services. Microsoft Threat Intelligence researchers said that the extension did not steal credentials or other sensitive information but its permissions would easily allow it if the operator decided to extend the scope of the data theft. Fake Perplexity AI extension Perplexity AI is a research assistant that searches the web and synthesizes the information in a direct, conversational response instead of showing a list of links for the user to access to find their answer. Perplexity AI is available on the web, on mobile (Android and iOS), and as a desktop app, and its official Chrome extension is named "Perplexity - AI Search." The fake extension that Microsoft spotted uses similar branding and the domain "perplexity-ai[.]online," instead of the legitimate perplexity.ai. Once installed, it changes the browser's search settings to replace the default search provider and to pass all address-bar queries through the attacker's infrastructure. "The extension overrides browser search settings through chrome_settings_overrides to replace the browser default search provider as well as intercept and redirect all queries in a Chromium browser's Omnibox to an intermediary infrastructure not associated with the official vendor domain," explains Microsoft. This level of data collection is not accidental, based on the logging code Microsoft found on the extension's server, which indicates intentional design. The extension also requests Chrome permissions that allow redirections, URL rewriting, and monitoring when rules execute. "The extension requests powerful DNR permissions that enable traffic redirection, URL rewriting, and selective request filtering, which aren't consistent with expected AI assistant behavior," the researchers mention. Even though Microsoft found no evidence that the extension targeted credentials, its confirmed data collection routines still allowed for extensive profiling, creating potential avenues for exploitation. Those who installed the extension with the ID "flkebkiofojicogddingbdmcmkpbplcd" should remove it from their browser and rotate their critical account passwords out of an abundance of caution.