Malicious npm packages posing as ChatGPT, Claude and Codex setup tools
On October 19, GitHub flagged eight npm packages as malware that use AI tool names as bait, such as claude-desktop-setup, chatgpt-desktop-setup, codex-setup and api-anthropic. If any of them was installed, treat that computer as compromised.
What it is
GitHub's malware advisories, all published 2026-10-19, cover every version of: chatgpt-pro-activator, chatgpt-pro-setup-tool, chatgpt-desktop-setup, @decoopus/chatgpt-setup, claude-desktop-setup, @decoopus/claude-setup, codex-setup and api-anthropic.
The names imitate installers or SDKs for ChatGPT, Claude and Codex. None of them is an official package: OpenAI's SDK is openai and Anthropic's is @anthropic-ai/sdk, and Claude Desktop and the ChatGPT desktop app are not installed from npm.
GitHub's guidance for each one: any computer that has the package installed or running should be considered fully compromised.
How to check
- Search your lockfiles and global installs for these names: chatgpt-pro-activator, chatgpt-pro-setup-tool, chatgpt-desktop-setup, @decoopus/chatgpt-setup, claude-desktop-setup, @decoopus/claude-setup, codex-setup, api-anthropic.
- Check CI images and any AI-agent sandboxes too, since a coding agent can install a package it was told about.
How to fix
- If you find one, remove it, then rotate every secret and key that was on that machine from a different, clean computer, as GitHub advises.
- Install AI SDKs and apps only from their official names and download pages, and pin dependencies with a lockfile.
grep -rE '"(chatgpt-pro-activator|chatgpt-pro-setup-tool|chatgpt-desktop-setup|@decoopus/chatgpt-setup|claude-desktop-setup|@decoopus/claude-setup|codex-setup|api-anthropic)"' --include=package-lock.json --include=package.json . ; npm ls -g --depth=0Sources
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-f4mf-vhm8-xxqc (claude-desktop-setup) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-p7p5-jrq5-q47x (@decoopus/claude-setup) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-cj9w-7h22-q93g (api-anthropic) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-pgq5-xq28-533m (chatgpt-desktop-setup) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-4632-2g34-4r9w (@decoopus/chatgpt-setup) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-qp43-mgx6-56x2 (chatgpt-pro-activator) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-xwx3-5h3q-2v8r (chatgpt-pro-setup-tool) ↗
- GitHub malware advisory GHSA-h8cg-xwfv-9x77 (codex-setup) ↗