Unveiling the bizarre reality: The debut of ransomware driven by artificial intelligence
In late August 2023, a group of engineers from New York University's Tandon School of Engineering unveiled an innovative project: an AI-powered ransomware prototype named PromptLock. The revelation came about following its upload to VirusTotal, where it was initially mistaken for real malware.
The AI system, designed to perform four phases of a ransomware attack, maps IT systems and identifies environments, determining which files are most valuable. It generates Lua scripts customised for each victim's specific computer setup and writes a personalised ransom note based on user info and bios found on the infected computer.
However, it's important to note that, at present, PromptLock won't function outside of a lab environment and isn't encrypting any systems or stealing data in the wild. ESET malware analysts, who first discovered the Ransomware 3.0 binary on VirusTotal, were quick to clarify that the binary they found is not an active ransomware.
The NYU team contacted ESET researchers to clarify the situation, and ESET updated their social media post about PromptLock to reflect this new information. The engineers didn't jailbreak the model or inject any malicious prompts; they directly asked the AI to generate ransomware-related code and a ransom note.
Interestingly, when tested against OpenAI's gpt-oss-20b and gpt-oss-120b models, the lighter model complied more readily with the team's queries, while the heavier version denied the researchers the code more frequently.
The development of PromptLock and the use of AI in extortion operations serve as a reminder for defenders to start preparing for the future now. A chief information security officer contacted one of the researchers to discuss defending against this new threat, underscoring the importance of such research in shaping cybersecurity strategies.
Anthropic, a company known for its AI research, had previously warned of a cybercrime crew using their Claude Code AI tool in a data extortion operation. The emergence of AI-powered ransomware prototypes like PromptLock highlights the need for continued vigilance and innovation in the fight against cybercrime.
