After the sudden popularity of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, fake ChatGPT apps are now mushrooming online. Since the AI chatbot has impressively taken the world by storm, hackers are now mimicking ChatGPT to create malicious apps that spread malware not only to Android phone users but also to Windows PCs and laptops.
These fake apps look very similar to Open AI’s ChatGPT chatbot. But this rogue software primarily distributes malware after phishing its victims.
(Photo: NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
The illustration image shows the ChatGPT artificial intelligence software generating human-like conversations on Friday February 3, 2023 in Lierde. Fake ChatGPT apps proliferate malware
According to a recent report by Bleeping Computer, ChatGPT saw the light of day last November. But since then it has instantly gained popularity with a staggering 100 million users as of January 2023.
In fact, the AI chatbot has been making headlines since the beginning of the year.
Additionally, Microsoft’s ailing search engine, Bing, gained popularity after receiving a new chatbot feature shortly after ChatGPT’s launch.
With that, Google is also working on bringing the AI chatbot to its search engine and introducing Bing AI rival Bard.
With OpenAI’s unprecedented popularity, hackers are now riding its massive fame. Bleeping Computer notes in its report that threat actors are capitalizing on the limitations of the free version of ChatGPT.
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Hackers impersonate ChatGPT
OpenAI recently launched a paid tier of ChatGPT, starting at $20 per month. It removes some limitations of AI chatbot that free users have to be content with.
And as such, hackers are now offering free access to the premium ChatGPT tier. It should remove any limitations that the non-paid version has and attract some frustrated free users.
(Photo: NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
The illustration image shows the ChatGPT artificial intelligence software generating human-like conversations on Friday February 3, 2023 in Lierde.
These fake ChatGPT apps mimic what the real AI chatbot looks like and pretend to offer free access to its paid version.
Bleeping Computer notes that security researcher Domimc Alvieri has drawn attention to the fact that a fake ChatGPT app, one of the platforms used by hackers, distributes a Redline malware that steals its victims’ information.
Dark Reading reports that the malicious app pretends to be a ChatGPT Windows desktop client. So instead of accessing the chatbot through a browser. This promises to work like a full blown app for PC users.
However, it is worth noting that ChatGPT does not have an official Windows desktop client.
Besides the fake Windows app, Alvieri also noticed another rogue ChatGPT app making its way onto the Google Play Store for Android devices. It proliferates malware that steals contents of its victims’ clipboard.
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