Kaspersky reveals a sharp rise in cyberattacks using counterfeit AI tools, capitalising on Vietnam’s booming AI app usage and posing new risks for users worldwide.
Kaspersky says cybercriminals have sharply increased their use of fake AI tools to spread malware, with more than 92,000 attacks detected globally between January and early May 2026. The security company said the campaign relied on counterfeit versions of popular AI services to persuade users to download malicious files, turning a wave of interest in generative AI into a delivery route for malware.
According to Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team, fake ChatGPT applications made up 49% of the attacks it tracked, while Claude and Gemini each accounted for 18%. The company also said a May campaign linked to the Silver Fox group used counterfeit Claude installers for Windows, macOS and Linux, which deployed malware designed to give attackers long-term access to compromised systems and sensitive data.
Kaspersky said the threat has broadened beyond cloned chatbot apps. It found more than 15,000 malware samples disguised as AI agent software, including banking Trojans, spyware, exploit code and loaders that can install additional malicious components. Some of the lures even mimicked emerging agent tools such as OpenClaw, reflecting how threat actors are borrowing the language of the AI market to make their files seem credible.
Sojun Ryu, a security researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT unit, said AI is moving from a simple content tool into software that can plan tasks, call APIs and carry out work with less direct oversight. He warned that while people still verify steps in AI-assisted development, some checks are increasingly skipped in the name of speed, which can raise risk. Kaspersky advises users to stick to reputable providers, avoid unknown bots and never share personal information with unverified services.
The warning comes as AI use continues to surge in Vietnam. Sensor Tower data cited by local outlet Kienthuc showed that users in the country recorded 18.6 billion AI app sessions in the first half of 2026, more than double the 8.82 billion seen in the same period a year earlier. Over the same six months, Vietnamese users spent 704 million hours on AI apps and paid $14.4 million for them, underlining the scale of demand that attackers are now trying to exploit.
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