Adversaries Leverage AI for Vulnerability Exploitation, Augmented Operations, and Initial Access


Since our February 2026 report on AI-related threat activity, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has continued to track a maturing transition from nascent AI-enabled operations to the industrial-scale application of generative models within adversarial workflows. This report, based on insights derived from Mandiant incident response engagements, Gemini, and GTIG’s proactive research, highlights the dual nature of the current threat environment where AI serves as both a sophisticated engine for adversary operations and a high-value target for attacks. We explore the following developments: Vulnerability Discovery and Exploit Generation; AI-Augmented Development for Defense Evasion; Autonomous Malware Operations; AI-Augmented Research and IO: Obfuscated LLM Access; Supply Chain Attacks.

Read more…
Source: Google Threat Intelligence Group


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • AI chatbot provider exposes 346,000 customer files, including ID documents, resumes, and medical records

    December 3, 2024

    Researchers have discovered a huge Google Cloud Storage bucket, found freely accessible on the internet and containing a treasure trove of personal information. AI startup WotNot provides companies with the ability to create their own customized chatbot. The company reportedly has 3,000 customers including some household family names. But the way its solution is set up ...

  • INTERPOL campaign warns against cyber and financial crimes

    December 3, 2024

    INTERPOL has launched a campaign to raise awareness on the growing threat of cyber and financial crimes against vulnerable individuals and organizations. The Think Twice campaign, which includes a series of short videos, focuses on five rising online threats: ransomware attacks, malware attacks, phishing, generative AI scams, and romance baiting. These sophisticated scams have seen a ...

  • Major SABS cyberattack raises questions about entity’s leadership

    December 3, 2024

    The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has suffered a major ransomware cyberattack, resulting in critical IT systems going down, Engineering News has learned. This is not the first time the SABS IT infrastructure has been hacked, with previous incidents reported in 2023 and again in April this year. The SABS confirmed the attack, telling Engineering ...

  • Threat Assessment: Howling Scorpius (Akira Ransomware)

    December 2, 2024

    Emerging in early 2023, the Howling Scorpius ransomware group is the entity behind the Akira ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS), which has consistently ranked in recent months among the top five most active ransomware groups. Its double extortion strategy significantly amplifies the threat it poses. Unit 42 researchers have been monitoring the Howling Scorpius ransomware group over the past ...

  • Zyxel Releases Advisory for Exploited Vulnerability CVE-2024-11667

    December 2, 2024

    Zyxel has released a security advisory addressing recent targeting of its firewall products. Attackers have been observed exploiting vulnerabilities patched in September (see Cyber Alert CC-4541) and a previously undisclosed high severity vulnerability. CVE-2024-11667 is a path traversal vulnerability and has a CVSSv3 score of 7.5. If exploited, an attacker could download or upload files via ...

  • Horns&Hooves campaign delivers NetSupport RAT and BurnsRAT

    December 2, 2024

    Recent months have seen a surge in mailings with lookalike email attachments in the form of a ZIP archive containing JScript scripts. The script files – disguised as requests and bids from potential customers or partners – bear names such as “Запрос цены и предложения от Индивидуального предпринимателя <ФИО> на август 2024. According to Kaspersky telemetry, ...