FHN 
Hackers are again targeting developers and AI users by creating fake versions of popular tools on GitHub. This time, they are impersonating DeepSeek TUI, a real terminal-based tool that lets users interact with DeepSeek AI models from the command line. This rise in deceptive practices is a clear indication of the threat posed by Fake DeepSeek malware.
After the release of DeepSeek v4 and growing online attention, the tool quickly became a target for attackers. They took advantage of its popularity to trick users into downloading malicious files.
Users must remain vigilant against these threats, particularly the risks associated with downloading files that may contain Fake DeepSeek malware.
Fake GitHub Repositories Spreading Malware
Attackers created fake GitHub repositories that look very similar to the real project. These pages appear legitimate, making it hard for users to notice the difference.
Users who download files from these fake repos end up installing malware. In this case, the malicious file was hidden inside a 7z archive on the Releases page, just like a normal software download.
Researchers from QiAnXin Threat Intelligence Center discovered that this attack is linked to a previous campaign known as OpenClaw. Both attacks use similar techniques and infrastructure, suggesting the same threat actor is behind them.
The attackers also used fake installer names related to other AI tools like Claude, Grok, WormGPT, and FraudGPT to spread the malware further.
Malware Behavior and Persistence Techniques
The main malware file, named DeepSeek-TUI_x64.exe, first checks if it is running in a secure or virtual environment. If it detects analysis tools, it stops execution to avoid being detected.
If the system looks like a real user machine, the malware continues its attack. It disables key Windows Defender protections, modifies firewall settings, and connects to external servers to download more malicious components.
These components help the attacker stay in the system. Some create scheduled tasks, others add registry entries for persistence, and some run silently in memory to avoid detection.
The malware uses multiple techniques to remain active, making it difficult to remove once installed. It can survive reboots and continue running without the user noticing.
Indicators of Compromise (IoCs):-
| Type | Indicator | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MD5 | b96c0d609c1b7e74f8cb1442bf0b5418 | DeepSeek-TUI_x64.exe (first-stage dropper) |
| MD5 | 7de2896e373342e0f3b765c855bf7396 | bbg_free_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 78c11c45c00a9c22f537c59a472beca1 | CatGatekeeper_x64.exe |
| MD5 | df36a31148d2c6414bdafeab771ea728 | CatGatekeeper_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 14920c9751d20452a1006d20b8e73234 | CatGatekeeper_x64.exe |
| MD5 | f6d328422e7ca22e70a6aa71315450f3 | CatGatekeeper_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 86c7f2a3c307928daaca7c1df3ea5d72 | CatGatekeeper_x64.exe |
| MD5 | dbaa133fd3d1a834460206d83b480f80 | ClaudeDesign-Optimized_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 22c0c7d441fd22432cfe7854b59ba82b | ClaudeDesign-Optimized_x64.exe |
| MD5 | a224f44bdac16250d8093df68e05b512 | DeepSeek-TUI_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 6861fa47889e0340ab7efaab448c56b6 | DeepSeek-TUI_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 437e4bdb12d7fa8d1c9a9e9db84b8726 | DeepSeek-TUI_x64.exe |
| MD5 | fbfe7513685913e6f878647eec429d45 | deepseek-v4-pro_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 562d48524313d414b5a419fed6ca10aa | DV4-MCP-Setup.exe |
| MD5 | df8a2e7aa46af996bdf67d79601671c3 | fraudGPT_x64.exe |
| MD5 | f101a346502a324320f952d39e217064 | fraudGPT_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 5d14461718b74b86fdd68c6aee801dc4 | GLM5-Local_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 556b35236eeb111b0606d88a7aa3fd87 | gpt-image-2-desktop.exe |
| MD5 | ff371b43786cbb87dab325ce17cf8b7c | gpt-image-2-desktop.exe |
| MD5 | 1bd1df4f228ecd29a9b6fab48beaa366 | GrokCLI_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 975bd8eb56716adbcadb5216592a17c7 | Hermes-Agent_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 347980085c8926d5a1ff8e15a31fd812 | Hermes-Agent_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 46917d8326d77e4e3c39cb843dbfc675 | KawaiiGPT_x64.cpl.exe |
| MD5 | b6f77b48223f57c67f00ccd8ab3d047e | KawaiiGPT_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 8dde7a417130ae78a3f2aeed1f5b8f58 | Kimi-K2.6_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 4c7abc81b308fc874ec0de4f026db260 | Kimi-K2.6_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 48dd212fae0086822d4ae7696cc61693 | LTX-2.3_x64.exe |
| MD5 | faa5f780fb0e0786dd1a2bd19af290ca | opus-4-7_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 6721f30d84f58532d877f2b31bfc9162 | opus-4-7_x64.exe |
| MD5 | a9d492ab22400257f756f0308e06f04c | worldmonitor_x64.exe |
| MD5 | d0a92b090279894f4628bc3d627fbde0 | WormGPT_x64.exe |
| MD5 | 397405106d895815a9bef8d84445af5a | OneSync.exe (two-stage component) |
| MD5 | b7a76b82c2a5e16a3c346cc6aa145556 | WinHealhCare.exe (two-stage component) |
| MD5 | f01e96a80f92c414dd824aef5a1ac1e7 | onedrive_sync.exe (two-stage component) |
| MD5 | ecb3e753b60cc0f3d7de50fe7f133e49 | svc_service.exe (two-stage component) |
| MD5 | 68ba5a1bafae7db35e2eee7ea3f11882 | autodate.exe (two-stage component) |
| MD5 | e102797eb4225a93eaeeaa6b9979716a | vicloud.exe (two-stage component) |
| Domain | mikolirentryifosttry.info | C2 command and control server |
| Domain | zkevopenanu.cfd | C2 command and control server |
| URL | hxxps://pastebin.com/raw/w6BVFFWQ | Primary payload staging link |
| URL | hxxps://pastebin.com/raw/5tmHDYrf | Secondary payload staging link |
| URL | hxxps://pastebin.com/raw/M6KthA5Z | Payload decompression password storage |
| URL | hxxps://snippet.host/beuskq/raw | Backup payload staging link |
| URL | hxxps://snippet.host/uikosx/raw | Backup payload password storage |
| URL | hxxps://hkdk.events/djbk1i9hp0sqoh | Telegram relay endpoint |
About the Author
This is a critical reminder of how easily bad actors hide malware in standard archives like 7z on fake GitHub repos targeting tools like DeepSeek TUI. It really highlights why developers need to verify repository authenticity and signatures before downloading, rather than assuming the interface looks legitimate. Adding these specific IOCs to our internal blocklists immediately would be a crucial next step to protect teams from these deceptive updates.
This is a critical reminder that popularity alone isn’t enough to verify a repository’s safety, especially for developer tools like DeepSeek TUI. The fact that attackers are hiding malicious payloads in standard 7z archives on the Releases page shows how sophisticated these social engineering tactics have become. Developers really need to double-check repository owners and validate all downloads with checksums before running anything locally.