Chromium extension uses AI‑related branding to redirect browser search

2026-06-29T20:52:17Z28b3081bb442febe31e9265216b73357660516c2efa8566819710d8f928a75ba
AI agentAmadeyAutoJackCNAPPMCP WebSocketMV3 APIMastraMicrosoft DCU takedownNode.js implantPerplexityRCESapphire SleetStealCchromium extensionhospitality sectorinfostealerlocalhost abusemalicious browser extensionnpmpersistencephoto ZIP campaignpostinstall payloadsearch redirectshortcut LNKsupply chain

What happened

Microsoft Security Blog posts (June 2026) describe multiple active threats and research: a malicious Chromium extension impersonating Perplexity AI that uses MV3 APIs and intermediary infrastructure to redirect browser searches; a photo-themed ZIP campaign targeting hospitality organizations in Europe and Asia that delivers a persistent Node.js implant via fake image shortcut files; a technical breakdown and takedown of StealC and Amadey infostealer infrastructure by Microsoft’s DCU; the AutoJack exploit chain that can achieve RCE on hosts by abusing AI browsing agents’ access to localhost and

Why it matters

A reviewed impact interpretation has not been published for this record.

Evidence and limitations

Source ID
microsoft_security_blog
Record identifier
28b3081bb442febe31e9265216b73357660516c2efa8566819710d8f928a75ba
Enrichment time
2026-06-29T20:52:17Z
AI-assisted enrichment
Yes

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Record · Chromium extension uses AI‑related branding to redirect browser search · Baitaphish