A malicious Chrome extension posing as the Perplexity AI answer engine was identified on the Chrome Web Store. This extension intercepts search traffic and collects browsing data from users, potentially compromising user privacy. The extension is not an official product and is designed to masquerade as a legitimate tool to deceive users. No specific affected software versions are stated, and no official vendor advisory or patch information is available. The threat is categorized as a medium severity vulnerability due to the privacy risks involved.

The impact involves unauthorized interception of search traffic and collection of browsing information by the fake extension, leading to potential privacy violations and data leakage. There is no evidence of remote code execution or other direct system compromise beyond data interception. No known active exploitation has been reported.

Since there is no official patch or vendor advisory, users should immediately uninstall any suspicious or unofficial Perplexity AI extensions from their Chrome browsers. Users should only install extensions from verified publishers and monitor browser extensions for unauthorized additions. Report the malicious extension to the Chrome Web Store for removal. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Chrome Web Store and Perplexity AI official channels for updates.