This AI Browser Hack Could Empty Your Bank Account – Here’s How Hackers Are Targeting You

An AI browser security flaw discovered by researchers exposes millions to account hijacking through simple webpage tricks

A shocking new security flaw in AI-powered browsers could give hackers complete access to your bank accounts, emails, and personal data – all through a simple webpage visit. Security experts from Brave have uncovered a dangerous vulnerability in Perplexity’s Comet AI browser that shows just how risky these smart browsing tools can be.

What Makes This AI Browser Hack So Dangerous?

The AI browser security flaw works like a digital trap. When you ask Comet to summarize any webpage, it reads everything on that page – including hidden malicious code that hackers secretly plant there. The scary part? The AI browser treats these hidden hacker commands as if they came from you.

Think of it like this: imagine asking your smart assistant to read a letter, but the letter contains secret instructions telling the assistant to steal your wallet. That’s exactly what’s happening here with AI browser security.

“The AI processes the webpage content and sees hidden malicious instructions, treating everything as user requests,” explains the research. This AI browser hack completely bypasses normal web security measures that have protected us for years.

How Hackers Can Empty Your Bank Account Through an AI Browser

Here’s the terrifying step-by-step process of how this AI browser security flaw works:

1. The Setup: Hackers hide malicious commands in normal-looking websites – even in Reddit comments or behind spoiler tags
2. The Visit: You visit this webpage and use your AI browser’s assistant feature to summarize the content
3. The Attack: The AI browser reads the hidden commands and thinks you’re asking it to access your banking site
4. The Theft: The AI browser then logs into your accounts and steals passwords, transfers money, or sends your data to hackers

The most alarming part about this AI browser hack is that it can access anything you’re logged into – your Gmail, banking apps, corporate systems, cloud storage, and more. Traditional web security simply can’t stop it because the AI browser is acting with your full permissions.

Real-World Test Shows AI Browser Vulnerability

Brave researchers actually tested this AI browser security flaw with a proof-of-concept attack. They hid malicious commands on a Reddit page, and when someone used Comet to summarize it, the AI browser automatically stole the user’s one-time password for their Perplexity account.

“Unlike traditional web vulnerabilities that affect individual sites, this attack enables cross-domain access through simple, natural language instructions embedded in websites,” the researchers found.

Which AI Browsers Are at Risk?

Currently, Perplexity’s Comet AI browser is the main target of this security research. However, experts warn that any AI browser with similar “agentic” features – meaning they can take actions on your behalf – could have the same vulnerability.

Popular AI browsers and assistants that might be affected include:

• Perplexity Comet
• Brave’s Leo AI
• Other AI-powered browsing tools

Has the AI Browser Security Flaw Been Fixed?

Brave reported this AI browser hack to Perplexity on July 25, 2025. The company acknowledged the problem and released fixes by August 13, 2025. However, when researchers tested again, they found the AI browser security issue wasn’t completely resolved.

As of August 20, 2025, some problems still exist. The good news? No real-world attacks using this AI browser hack have been reported yet – but security experts are calling it a serious wake-up call.

How to Protect Yourself from AI Browser Hacks

Here are simple steps to stay safe from AI browser security threats:

Immediate Protection:

• Don’t use AI browsers for banking or accessing sensitive accounts
• Avoid asking AI browsers to summarize suspicious or unknown websites
• Use separate, dedicated apps for banking and email instead of AI browsers

General Safety Tips:

• Keep your AI browser updated with the latest security patches
• Look for confirmation features that ask your permission before taking action
• Be extra careful with user-generated content like Reddit comments or forum posts

For Banking and Email:

• Stick to official bank apps and email clients
• Never let AI browsers handle financial transactions
• Use two-factor authentication on all important accounts

What This Means for the Future of AI Browsers

This AI browser security discovery highlights a bigger problem as artificial intelligence tools become more powerful. As AI browsers get smarter and handle more tasks for us, they also become bigger targets for hackers.

“The attack poses a major challenge to existing web security measures,” researchers warn. Traditional protections like same-origin policy simply don’t work against AI browser hacks because the AI operates with full user privileges.

The incident shows why we need new security standards specifically designed for AI browsers and smart assistants. Until then, users should be extremely cautious about letting AI browsers handle sensitive tasks.

Also Read: AI Ethics and Responsible AI: An Easy Guide for Everyone

Be Careful with AI Browser Technology

While AI browsers promise to make our lives easier, this security flaw proves they’re not ready for handling our most important digital tasks. The ability for hackers to hijack AI browsers through simple webpage tricks is a serious concern that affects millions of users.

Until AI browser security improves significantly, it’s better to stick with traditional methods for banking, email, and other sensitive activities. The convenience isn’t worth risking your financial security and personal privacy.

Stay alert, keep your software updated, and remember – if something seems too good to be true with new AI technology, it often comes with hidden risks.