Tag: Perplexity

Amazon sues Perplexity AI for using an automated shopping tool

Amazon has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI due to the use of its Comet tool, which allows for automatic purchases on e-commerce sites, including its own platform. Amazon alleges that this practice could compromise security and be characterized as fraud, by disguising automated browsing as human activity. Perplexity’s legal team argues that Amazon’s true concern lies in its advertising business, fearing that its ability to sell products to human users could be hindered if AI agents use the platform to make […]

Amazon has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI due to the use of its Comet tool, which allows for automatic purchases on e-commerce sites, including its own platform. Amazon claims that this practice could compromise security and be characterized as fraud, by disguising automated browsing as human activity.

The real concern of Amazon

In its defense, the legal team of Perplexity argues that Amazon’s real concern lies in its advertising business, fearing that its ability to sell products to human users may be hindered if AI agents use the platform to make purchases. They claim that AI agents have no eyes to see the advertising that Amazon floods its users with.

Amazon countered this claim, emphasizing that its real concern is not lost advertising, but that customers might stop taking advantage of offers, recommendations, and the ability to find cheaper products or reduce shipping costs. Additionally, the online retail giant suggests that any resulting financial damage may not be easily compensated, as it is impossible to calculate how many customers avoided its store due to missed opportunities.

This case raises significant concerns for the marketing sector and the direct relationships between retailers and consumers, as the use of automated shopping tools could cannibalize advertising revenue. Industry experts warn that the advancement of AI-assisted shopping could pose an existential threat to retail media.

Despite the dispute, Amazon is not completely rejecting AI technology; it has established partnerships with other artificial intelligence companies, including an agreement with OpenAI, and is developing its own AI commerce tool called Rufus. The evolution of this case is being watched with great interest, as it could redefine the economic model of advertising and business relationships in the sector.

This is CometJacking: a new way to steal all your data

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed a new attack called CometJacking, targeting the Comet browser from Perplexity. This attack is based on the injection of malicious prompts within seemingly harmless links, allowing the theft of sensitive data from connected services like Gmail and Calendar. The threat is activated by clicking on a specially designed link, which causes the browser to execute a hidden prompt, capturing personal information and sending it to a server controlled by the attacker. A very serious security issue The research has highlighted how a single poisoned link can transform an AI browser, which is […]

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed a new attack called CometJacking, aimed at Perplexity’s Comet browser. This attack is based on injecting malicious prompts into seemingly harmless links, allowing the theft of sensitive data from connected services like Gmail and Calendar. The threat is activated by clicking on a crafted link, which causes the browser to execute a hidden prompt, capturing personal information and sending it to a server controlled by the attacker.

A very serious security problem

The investigation has highlighted how a single poisoned link can transform an AI browser, which is considered a trusted assistant, into an internal threat. Michelle Levy, head of security research at LayerX, stated that “it’s not just about stealing data; it’s about hijacking the agent that already has the keys”. This type of attack bypasses Perplexity’s data protection measures using simple obfuscation tricks like Base64 encoding.

The CometJacking attack operates in five steps: it is activated when a victim clicks on a malicious link, either in a phishing email or on a webpage. Instead of directing the user to the intended destination, the link instructs the Comet browser’s artificial intelligence to execute a hidden prompt that captures user data and sends it to an endpoint controlled by the attacker.

Despite the fact that Perplexity has categorized the findings as having “no impact on security,” the situation highlights the inherent vulnerabilities of native artificial intelligence tools. Organizations must review and improve controls to detect and neutralize these malicious prompts, as attacks can escalate into widespread campaigns, turning browsers into checkpoints within corporate networks.

Avast Free Antivirus DOWNLOAD