Perplexity Rejects SquareX’s Vulnerability Claims as “Fake News”

URGENT UPDATE: Perplexity has swiftly responded to allegations from cybersecurity firm SquareX, claiming its Comet browser harbors a serious vulnerability. SquareX asserts that a hidden MCP API could allow local command execution, potentially compromising users’ devices. Perplexity, however, decries these accusations as “entirely false” and categorically labels them as part of a rising trend of “fake security research.”

SquareX made the allegations in a recent report, stating that the MCP API could enable malicious actors to execute arbitrary commands on users’ devices if they gain access to the perplexity.ai page. This would pose a significant risk, as anyone breaching the Perplexity site could potentially exploit these vulnerabilities across all user devices.

Why This Matters NOW: With cybersecurity threats escalating globally, the stakes are high for users of the Comet browser. The debate over the validity of these claims could influence user trust and impact the browser’s adoption rate.

In response to SquareX’s claims, Perplexity spokesperson Jesse Dwyer emphasized that the alleged vulnerability necessitates user action, requiring the developer mode to be enabled and malware to be manually sideloaded. “To replicate this, the human user must turn on developer mode and manually sideload malware into Comet,” Dwyer stated.

SquareX’s lead researcher, Kabilan Sakthivel, criticized Perplexity’s approach, suggesting that its lack of stringent security controls undermines decades of established browser security principles. “This reverses the clock on decades of browser security,” he warned.

Perplexity countered, asserting that the claims regarding user consent are “categorically false.” Dwyer clarified that user permission is mandatory for any local MCP operations, stating, “When installing local MCPs we require user consent—users are the ones setting it up and calling the MCP API.”

In a surprising twist, SquareX alleges that Perplexity made a “silent update” to the Comet browser shortly after the report’s release, changing the status of the local MCP feature. They claim this update rendered the vulnerability inactive within hours of their proof-of-concept demonstration.

What Happens Next: The situation is still evolving, as both companies stand firm in their positions. SquareX has stated that three independent researchers successfully replicated the alleged attack, reinforcing their claims. They expressed satisfaction that their research could lead to improvements in Comet’s security, while also noting that Perplexity has not responded to their vulnerability disclosure program submission.

As the cybersecurity landscape continues to shift, the implications of this dispute extend beyond the immediate concerns for Comet users. Industry experts and users alike will be watching closely to see how this situation unfolds and what measures will be taken to ensure the safety of browsing experiences in the future.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.