Cyber dangers have gotten more advanced and specialised in a world where technology is developing at an unparalleled rate. In order to lure victims, spammers and malware operators in particular have perfected their abilities to manipulate contentious issues and trending themes. A recent analysis by Meta claims that the buzz surrounding generative AI technology like ChatGPT, which has people's interest and excitement, is being exploited by the most current wave of malware operations. The new AI technology has become popular even among bad actors as a result of the disruption it has brought about.
Since March alone, the security analysts at Meta have been monitoring this trend and have discovered about 10 malware families that pretend to be ChatGPT and related programmes. These malicious actors have produced phoney browser extensions that advertise tools linked to ChatGPT but actually hack online accounts. Some of these extensions have functioning ChatGPT functionality alongside the malware, probably to allay user and retailer suspicion.
To counter this issue, Meta has identified and prevented the sharing of over 1,000 different malicious URLs on its apps. In order for their industry peers at file-sharing platforms where malware was housed to respond appropriately, the company has also disclosed these URLs. According to Meta, several of these malicious extensions did contain functional ChatGPT features in addition to the virus. Most likely, this was done to allay consumers' and app retailers' suspicions.
The generative AI arena is not the only one where such harmful activity is taking place, according to Meta's most recent research on malware distribution. "This is not unique to the generative AI space," said Guy Rosen, chief information security officer at Meta. As a sector, they have observed this in relation to other issues that were trendy at the time, such as cryptocurrency frauds that were stoked by interest in digital currency.
The research from Meta emphasises the need for greater knowledge and cybersecurity precautions to safeguard both people and enterprises. The buzz surrounding ChatGPT and AI is still in its infancy and is anticipated to expand greatly. Malware cases connected to this new disruptive technology are also expected to increase soon.
