Phony Claude Code Install Guides Trick Vibe Coders Into Installing Malware

Last updated: 2026/03/06 at 2:00 PM

News Room Published 6 March 2026

Would-be vibe coders looking to experiment with Claude Code are being targeted by malicious install guide websites that pop up in Google search results and install malware when executed.

Dubbed InstallFix by Push Security, the scheme is a modification of the ClickFix social engineering scam. It inserts instructions to download malware during the Claude Code install process on cloned websites. The attack bypasses many standard malware protections because the user initiates it. Where that often requires the user to open a run dialogue box or perform a CAPTCHA check, InstallFix adds a dodgy URL to an install guide you already trust, making it easy to slip up.

Adding an extra wrinkle is that InstallFix is showing up in Google results as sponsored links when searching for “Claude Code.”

Ideally, you’d avoid pasting URLs you find in guides (or anywhere), but it’s not uncommon to see this when installing some tools online. Indeed, the legitimate Claude Code install site asks you to do just that (this is the real one, check the URL). It’s this curl-to-bash command shown in the image below that causes so many problems when pasted into your terminal and actioned.

Would you notice if the URLs in these legit instructions were slightly different? (Credit: Jon Martindale/Anthropic)

As Push Security describes, the cloned sites look nearly identical to the real thing, with the same logos, layout, and functioning links. But if you check the instructions, you’ll see the URLs for downloading files point to an attacker-controlled server that can download anything it likes, often without tripping your anti-malware software.

As with many modern malware attacks, this one is multipronged as well. When you run the download command, it installs an executable that then downloads more malware from a remote URL. It appears to be related to the Amatera Stealer malware and primarily targets user data, grabbing passwords, cookies, and session tokens. It’s also hard to delete.

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Although this particular campaign targets Claude Code, InstallFix scams are growing in number and are likely to proliferate further as AI tools attract users looking to vibe code for the first time.

Be careful out there. Check the URLs of the sites you’re visiting, and be extra wary when copying and pasting anything into a terminal from a website you don’t know much about.