Since ChatGPT was released in late November 2022, it has grown more than any of us could have imagined and so have the ways threat actors can take advantage of it. Abusing trusted platforms is nothing new, but abusing trusted AI platforms is something that has only emerged in the last few years.
A recent article from Huntress explains how attackers are abusing a legitimate ChatGPT feature called Custom GPTs. Custom GPTs let anyone build their own version of ChatGPT using instructions and settings they provide, and they’re hosted right on the real ChatGPT website. Attackers used this feature to launch a Click Fix attack: a scam that looks like a normal error or security check but is really designed to trick you into copying and running a malicious command on your own computer.
How does this work with ChatGPT?
It starts with a Google search. When someone searches for “ChatGPT,” a sponsored ad at the top of the results takes them to the real chatgpt.com, but straight into a Custom GPT disguised as a new ChatGPT model called “Plus 5.6.” Because the address bar says chatgpt.com, nothing looks wrong. The only clue is a small “community builder” label under the title, which most people would never notice.
What happens when you try to use ChatGPT?
No matter what you type, this Custom GPT replies with a fake, “service availability” notice saying ChatGPT is having problems and offers a link to continue to a “backup domain.” That link leads to a page that looks like a standard “verify you’re human” check. Instead of clicking a box, though, you’re instructed to copy a command and paste it into your computer. That one paste is all the attacker needs to get remote access to your machine.
What are ways you can protect yourself?
The number one way to protect yourself from this attack is to know this fact. No legitimate website will ask you to paste a command on your computer for you to fix an error. So, if you end up in a situation where a webpage is asking you to press certain keys to open PowerShell or command prompt and paste a command, stop right there.
If you are ever in doubt and think what ChatGPT or any other site is making you do is shady, take a second to stop and close the page you are on. You lose nothing by walking away. If you want to double check, you can check the status of services or apps on websites like downdetector.com for free.
The bottom line
Just because attackers can take advantage of AI tools doesn’t mean you have to stop using them. They target AI platforms and for the same reason they target email and search engines, that’s where the people are. Knowing how ChatGPT works and knowing what sort of exploits exist, for AI tools such as this one, makes it much harder for threat actors to take advantage of you.