Hackers hide dangerous fake AI downloads behind Google ads
You search Google for Claude, the popular AI assistant, and spot a sponsored result.
The link points to Bing, Microsoft's search engine.
Nothing immediately screams scam.
However, that click could send you through several websites before landing on a convincing fake Claude download page designed to trick you into running a dangerous command on your Mac.
Security researchers at Push Security uncovered a clever attack that uses legitimate search engine links to hide a malicious installer.
The technique, which researchers jokingly call "Adception," takes advantage of how Google ads and Bing redirects work.
Even more concerning, the fake installer shows one command on the screen while secretly copying another.
Here's how the scam works and what you should know before downloading AI software.
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HACKERS HIJACK VERIFIED STREAMING ACCOUNT TO SPREAD MALWARE, RESEARCHERS FIND The attack begins with a Google search for "Claude Mac." According to Push Security, researchers discovered a sponsored search result that displayed bing.com as its destination.
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