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:

  • Hackers struggle morally and economically over Coronavirus

    April 9, 2020

    With the Coronavirus pandemic in full swing, threat actors are torn about how they should operate during the pandemic, and like everyone else, are also seeing a downturn in the underground hacker marketplace. In mid-March, BleepingComputer asked numerous ransomware operators whether they would stop targeting health care companies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Some operators stated they would no ...

  • Unique P2P Architecture Gives DDG Botnet ‘Unstoppable’ Status

    April 9, 2020

    The coin-mining botnet known as DDG has seen a flurry of activity since the beginning of the year, releasing 16 different updates over the course of the past three months. Most notably, its operators have adopted a proprietary peer-to-peer (P2P) mechanism that has turned the DDG into a highly sophisticated, “seemingly unstoppable” threat, according to ...

  • Copycat Site Serves Up Raccoon Stealer

    April 9, 2020

    Someone is targeting web denizens with a malicious, copycat Malwarebytes website, which serves up the Raccoon information stealer malware to unsuspecting visitors. According to the security firm itself, the attackers set up the domain “malwarebytes-freecom” with a domain registrar in Russia in late March. “We don’t expect to hear from either the registrar or hosting provider,” ...

  • FIN6 and TrickBot Combine Forces in ‘Anchor’ Attacks

    April 7, 2020

    Researchers say, two cybercriminal groups, FIN6 and the operators of the TrickBot malware, have paired up together to target several organizations with TrickBot’s malware framework called “Anchor.” The two threat groups joining forces is a “new and dangerous twist” in an existing trend of cybercrime groups working together, say researchers with IBM X-Force. The FIN6 group (also known as “ITG08”) has ...

  • Email provider got hacked, data of 600,000 users now sold on the dark web

    April 7, 2020

    The data of more than 600,000 Email.it users is currently being sold on the dark web, ZDNet has learned following a tip from one of our readers. “Unfortunately, we must confirm that we have suffered a hacker attack,” the Italian email service provider said in a statement to ZDNet on Monday. The Email.it hack came to light on Sunday, ...

  • Analysis: Suspicious “Very Hidden” Formula on Excel 4.0 Macro Sheet

    April 6, 2020

    A malicious Microsoft Excel 4.0 Macro sheet with a suspicious formula that is set as “Very Hidden” was submitted by a customer and further analyzed by Trend Micro researchers. The sheet is not readily accessible via the Microsoft Excel User Interface (UI) due to a feature documented in the Microsoft website that allows users to hide sheets. ...