{“lastseen”:”2025-11-03T17:04:53″,”description”:”The mobile AI gold rush has flooded app stores with lookalikes\u2014shiny, convincing apps promising \u201cAI image generation,\u201d \u201csmart chat,\u201d or \u201cinstant productivity.\u201d But behind the flashy logos lurks a spectrum of fake apps, from harmless copycats to outright spyware. \\n\\nSpoofing trusted brands like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT has become the latest tactic for opportunistic developers and cybercriminals to sell their \u201cinventions\u201d and spread malware.\\n\\nA quick scan of app stores in 2025 shows an explosion of \u201cAI\u201d apps. As Appknox research reveals, these clones fall along a wide risk spectrum:\\n\\n * **Harmless wrappers:** Some unofficial \u201cwrappers\u201d connect to legitimate AI APIs with basic add-ons like ads or themes. These mostly create privacy or confusion risks, rather than direct harm. \\n * **Adware impersonators:** Others abuse AI branding just to profit from ads. For example, a DALL\u00b7E image generator clone mimicking OpenAI\u2019s look delivers nothing but aggressive ad traffic. Its only purpose: funneling user data to advertisers under the guise of intelligence. Package `com.openai.dalle3umagic` is detected by Malwarebytes as Adware.\\n * **Malware disguised as AI tools:** At the extreme, clones like WhatsApp Plus use spoofed certificates and obfuscated code to smuggle spyware onto devices. Once installed, these apps scrape contacts, intercept SMS messages (including one-time passwords), and quietly send everything to criminals via cloud services. WhatsApp Plus is an unofficial, third-party modified version of the real WhatsApp app, and some variants falsely claim to include AI-powered tools to lure users. Package `com.wkwaplapphfm.messengerse` is detected by Malwarebytes as Android\/Trojan.Agent.SIB0185444803H262.\\n\\n\\n\\nWe’ve written before about cybercriminals hiding malware behind fake AI tools and installed packages that mimic popular services like Chat GPT, the lead monetization service Nova Leads, and an AI-empowered video tool called InVideo AI.\\n\\n## How to stay safe from the clones\\n\\nAs is true with all malware, the best defense is to prevent an attack before it happens. Follow these tips to stay safe:\\n\\n * **Download only from official stores.** Stick to Google Play or the App Store. Don\u2019t download apps from links in ads, messages, or social media posts.\\n * **Check the developer name.** Fake apps often use small tweaks\u2014extra letters or punctuation\u2014to look legitimate. If the name doesn\u2019t exactly match, skip it.\\n * **Read the reviews (but carefully).** Real users often spot bad app behavior early. Look for repeated mentions of pop-ups, ads, or unexpected charges.\\n * **Limit app permissions.** Don\u2019t grant access to contacts, messages, or files unless it\u2019s essential for the app to work.\\n * **Keep your device protected.** Use trusted mobile security software that blocks malicious downloads and warns you before trouble starts.\\n * **Delete suspicious apps fast.** If something feels off\u2014battery drain, pop-ups, weird network traffic\u2014uninstall the app and run a scan.\\n\\n\\n\\n* * *\\n\\n**We don\u2019t just report on threats\u2014we remove them**\\n\\nCybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.”,”published”:”2025-11-03T16:01:17″,”modified”:”2025-11-03T16:01:17″,”type”:”malwarebytes”,”title”:”Attack of the clones: Fake ChatGPT apps are everywhere”,”source”:””,”references”:””,”id”:”MALWAREBYTES:74E5079985131C35F5471750416678C8″,”bulletinFamily”:”blog”,”cwe”:null,”cvelist”:[],”sourceData”:””,”sourceHref”:””,”cvss”:{“score”:0,”severity”:”NONE”,”vector”:”NONE”,”version”:”NONE”},”cvss2″:{},”cvss3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””,”cvssV3″:{“version”:””,”vectorString”:””,”baseScore”:0,”baseSeverity”:””,”attackVector”:””,”attackComplexity”:””,”privilegesRequired”:””,”userInteraction”:””,”scope”:””,”confidentialityImpact”:””,”integrityImpact”:””,”availabilityImpact”:””}},”href”:”https:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/blog\/news\/2025\/11\/attack-of-the-clones-fake-chatgpt-apps-are-everywhere”,”category_name”:”News”,”post_link”:””,”product”:””,”version”:””,”vendor”:””,”ai_description”:””,”ai_severity”:””,”ai_vendor”:””,”ai_product”:””,”ai_version”:””,”ai_score”:0}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
{“lastseen”:”2025-11-03T17:04:53″,”description”:”The mobile AI gold rush has flooded app stores with lookalikes\u2014shiny, convincing apps promising \u201cAI image generation,\u201d \u201csmart chat,\u201d or \u201cinstant productivity.\u201d But behind the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6,8,12,115,13,33,7,11,5],"class_list":["post-24489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-category_news","tag-cve","tag-cvss","tag-exploit","tag-malwarebytes","tag-news","tag-none","tag-security","tag-tapic","tag-vulnerability"],"yoast_head":"\n