ChatGPT hype leading to the spread of dangerous malware: Meta researchers

In a world where technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, cyber threats have become more sophisticated and targeted. Malware operators and spammers, in particular, have honed their skills in manipulating hot-button issues and popular topics to attract victims. According to a recent report by Meta, the latest wave of malware campaigns is taking advantage of the hype around generative AI technology like ChatGPT, which has captured people's imagination and excitement. The disruption introduced by the new AI technology has made it popular even among malicious actors.  

Meta's security analysts have been tracking this trend and have found around 10 malware families posing as ChatGPT and similar tools since March alone. These malicious actors have created fraudulent browser extensions that claim to offer ChatGPT-related tools but instead compromise accounts across the internet. Some of these extensions have included working ChatGPT functionality alongside the malware, likely to avoid suspicion from both the stores and the users.

To combat this threat, Meta has detected and blocked over 1,000 unique malicious URLs from being shared on its apps. The company has also reported these URLs to its industry peers at file-sharing services where malware was hosted, so they can take appropriate action. Meta claims that some of these malicious extensions did include working ChatGPT functionality alongside the malware. It was most likely done to avoid suspicion from the application stores and from users.

According to Meta's latest report on spread of malware, generative AI space is not the only area where such malicious activity is occurring. Meta’s Chief Information Security Officer Guy Rosen said, "This is not unique to the generative AI space. As an industry, we’ve seen this across other topics popular in their time, such as crypto scams fueled by the interest in digital currency. The generative AI space is rapidly evolving and bad actors know it, so we should all be vigilant."

Meta's report highlights the need for increased awareness and cybersecurity measures to protect individuals and businesses alike. The hype around ChatGPT and AI is still at its nascent stage and is expected to grow manifold. Instances of malware linked to this new disruptive technology are also set to rise in the near future. 

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