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Fake “Plus 5.6” ChatGPT GPT Used to Push Malware Through a Fake CAPTCHA

An attacker-created “Plus 5.6” Custom GPT on the real ChatGPT site redirected users to a fake CAPTCHA that prompted them to run a malware-delivering command.
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The “Plus 5.6” page was hosted on the real ChatGPT website, but it was an attacker-created Custom GPT—not an official OpenAI model. It sent visitors to a Google Sites page posing as a backup service, where a fake CAPTCHA urged them to run a command that started a malware infection chain, according to Huntress’s late-September 2026 investigation.

How the fake ChatGPT GPT lured visitors

Huntress observed sponsored Google search results for “chatgpt” leading some users to Custom GPT pages on the legitimate ChatGPT domain. The attacker-created GPTs used the name “Plus 5.6.” They displayed a service-availability notice—“We’re currently experiencing limited availability on the primary domain”—and directed visitors to a supposed “backup” page hosted on Google Sites.

This distinction matters: the GPT page was on ChatGPT’s real website, but that did not make the GPT an official OpenAI product or mean ChatGPT itself was distributing malware. The attackers used a user-created feature and reputable hosting platforms as convincing entry points.

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What happened after the backup link

The Google Sites page presented a fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA. Instead of simply asking visitors to click a checkbox, it instructed them to copy and run a command. That is the key social-engineering step in a ClickFix attack: the victim is persuaded to execute the action that begins the infection.

In this campaign, the command launched PowerShell, which downloaded a malicious MSI installer. Huntress describes a multi-stage chain involving DLL sideloading, persistence, and a remote access trojan (RAT). A signed application was abused as a loading host; its vendor signature did not make the malicious chain trustworthy.

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How the two observed variants differed

Observed variant Abused signed host application What remained consistent
First observed chain Canon-signed application Huntress reports that the RAT and several underlying components remained the same across variants; both chains involved malicious delivery and persistence.
Later observed chain Stardock-signed application Same RAT and several underlying components, according to Huntress.

The change from a Canon-signed host to a Stardock-signed host does not indicate two unrelated malware families. In both cases, attackers abused signed software as part of the loading chain. A valid signature identifies the publisher of the signed application; it is not proof that every file or behavior associated with it is safe.

How many incidents were linked to the GPT?

Huntress reported at least 40 incidents associated with the specific Google Sites domain. It confirmed that two incidents came through a Custom GPT instance. Those figures describe Huntress-observed telemetry, not a global victim census: the 40 incidents should not be described as 40 people infected through the GPT.

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Huntress contacted OpenAI. The first GPT it reported had been taken down by September 25, 2026, and Huntress found another on September 27. These are dated observations, not confirmation that the lure or its delivery infrastructure is available—or inactive—now.

What to do if you encounter this kind of prompt

  • Do not paste a command into Windows Run, PowerShell, Command Prompt, Terminal, or another shell because a web page says it is a CAPTCHA, verification step, or access fix.
  • Treat an unexpected “backup domain” link as untrusted. A familiar service name or a page hosted on a reputable platform does not establish that the page is operated by that service.
  • Check whether a Custom GPT is actually associated with the organization it claims to represent. A GPT’s presence on ChatGPT does not make it an official OpenAI model.
  • If you already ran a command from a suspicious page, stop interacting with the device and contact your organization’s IT or security team. They can assess the system and decide on containment and recovery steps.
  • Security teams can consult Huntress’s technical account for behavioral details and indicators, then validate any time-sensitive indicators before using them operationally.
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What is known—and what is not

Huntress’s account establishes how the observed lures worked and distinguishes incidents tied to the Google Sites domain from the smaller number confirmed to have originated through a Custom GPT. The reporting does not identify the operator, establish a complete global victim count, or verify whether any lure or delivery infrastructure remains active. Huntress’s findings are an incident-response view, not a census of every affected user.

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