OpenAI has intervened in over 20 malicious cyber activities where its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, was misused for debugging and developing malware, spreading misinformation, evading detection, and executing spear-phishing attacks.

A recent report, which covers incidents from early this year, is the first official acknowledgment that mainstream generative AI tools are being utilised to strengthen offensive cyber capabilities.

Proofpoint initially detected signs of this activity in April, suspecting that TA547 (also known as "Scully Spider") was using an AI-generated PowerShell loader to deploy the Rhadamanthys info-stealer.

More recently, in a report from last month, HP Wolf researchers identified that cybercriminals targeting French users were using AI tools to write scripts in a complex, multi-step infection chain.

OpenAI's latest findings confirm the exploitation of ChatGPT, with cases showing Chinese and Iranian threat actors employing it to boost the impact of their cyber operations.

Read the full article via Bleeping Computer.

Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).