AI Browser Infiltration: Detailing the Attackers' Access to Perplexity's artificial intelligence agent

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In a recent incident, the Comet browser from Perplexity AI has raised concerns about the risks associated with AI-assisted browsing, as it changes the threat landscape and challenges traditional notions of security.

The breach of Comet serves as a stark reminder to Perplexity that the AI race isn't just about speed or features, but also about trust. A single injected sentence can alter the behavior of an AI agent across domains, potentially pulling data from authenticated sessions or triggering unintended actions.

Vyom Ramani, a journalist with a soft spot for tech, games, and things that go beep, writes about the incident in his latest article. He notes that Comet, unlike Brave's Leo assistant, is a proprietary system, making it harder for independent researchers to verify fixes.

The broader challenge is rethinking security for AI systems that not only display the web but also act on it. Brave, in response to the incident, suggests remedies such as separating user instructions from web data, building stronger alignment checks, and treating agentic browsing as a privileged mode that demands strict isolation.

If AI browsers are to become the default way we navigate the internet, engineering trust will be the hardest feature to achieve. The Comet browser has exhibited critical security vulnerabilities that undermine traditional browser and AI system security. Users have been required to grant unprecedented access to their entire digital lives, combined with inconsistent and unclear data privacy policies.

This has led to public distrust, with some users labelling it “literally spyware” and unwilling to share sensitive information. The incident highlights both technical flaws and strategic privacy failures that risk long-term damage to the product’s credibility and acceptance.

The article also mentions other top AI-powered browsers to try, including Edge, Neon, and Arc. As the AI revolution continues to shape the internet, the need for trustworthy and secure browsing solutions becomes increasingly important.