On social networks, a fake advertisement for Bard, Google’s chatbot, tricks users into downloading an update that is actually malware.
Bard’s success, the Google chatbot competitor of ChatGPT, has not gone unnoticed by some people. Bad luck, they are not well intentioned. On social networks, Facebook in the lead, we are beginning to see ads promoting a chatbot update made in Mountain View. That Google promotes its tool is not aberrant in itself. Except that on closer inspection, the post is quite strange.
On the screenshot below, we learn that a “new update” of Bard is available. To take advantage of a free trial, you must click on a shortcut link. No mention of Google, but of “rebrand.ly”, a (legitimate) site for cutting long URLs. In the comments of the post, many people praise the software. Same observation: not once the word “Google” is written, and all the reviews seem to have been written at the same time. They are obviously bot artwork.
A copy of Google Bard installs malware on your PC, be careful
If you unfortunately click on the link (don’t do it), you are redirected to a site hosted by Google. Let’s skip the dubious design and look at the “Download AIBard” link. It refers to a Google Drive personal to download the “GoogleAIUpdata.rar” file, protected by a password. Inside, malware named “Google Bard AI setup.msi” which will modify your web browser to display unsolicited advertisements.
Read also – ChatGPT, Bard: Google asks its employees not to share sensitive info on chatbots
You would have understood it : this scam is suspicious from start to finish. You can spot it from afar, but don’t forget thata simple click on a suspicious link can provide personal information to the hacker. Especially when you are connected to an account (Facebook, Google…) at the time of doing so. Always stay alert to such dubious advertisements.
Source: ESET