Since the launch of ChatGPT, it has generated a lot of attention in tech circles, but there are also many researchers who are concerned that generative AI, while popularizing AI, will also popularize cybercrime.
This fear is not without merit, and in some hacker forums, security researchers have observed people using ChatGPT to write malicious code.
Recently, a post titled “ChatGPT - Benefits of Malware” appeared on a popular underground hacking forum, where the poster revealed that he was experimenting with ChatGPT to refactor common malware.
Security researchers say that the malicious programs currently developed with ChatGPT are fairly simple, but it’s only a matter of time before more sophisticated programs emerge.
ChatGPT, criminals use it all say good
Upon its release in late November 2022, ChatGPT added some challenges to modern cybersecurity, in addition to generating interest in new uses for artificial intelligence. From a cybersecurity perspective, the main challenge posed by the creation of ChatGPT is that any techie can write code to generate malware and ransomware as needed.
Although the ChatGPT terms prohibit their use for illegal or malicious purposes, skilled users can effortlessly tweak their requests to get around these restrictions.
As mentioned earlier, the use of ChatGPT to recreate common malicious programs has been described under the title ChatGPT - Benefits of Malware.
There are two examples in the article. He shares code for a Python based stealer that searches for common file types and copies them to a random folder in the Temp folder, compresses and uploads them to a hardcoded FTP server.
The second example is a simple Java snippet. It downloads a very common SSH and telnet client called “PuTTY” and runs it secretly on the system using Powershell. The user can modify this script to download and run any program, including the common malware family.
Meanwhile, security firm Check Point Research (CPR), after analyzing several major underground hacking communities, found that a group of cybercriminals are already using OpenAI to develop malicious tools, and showed the following types of examples of crimes committed with ChatGPT in a blog post.
- Create encryption tools
A hacker named USDoD has released a Python script to perform cryptographic operations. The outrageous thing is that this is the first script he has created, which is a side-effect of the fact that white guys can really use ChatGPT to write malware. The script is actually a hodgepodge of different signature, encryption, and decryption functions, and while all of the above code may seem benign, it could be turned into ransomware if someone with a good mind makes simple modifications to the script and syntax.
UsDoD is not a developer and has limited technical skills, but he is very active and well known in the underground community and has been targeted by the U.S. Department of Defense for some time. A cybercriminal commented that his code style was similar to OpenAI code, and the DoD later confirmed that OpenAI had given him good “help” with his scripts.
- Internet Fraud and Black Trade
In the discussion “Abusing ChatGPT to Create Dark Web Marketplace Scripts,” a cybercriminal shows how easy it is to create a dark web marketplace using ChatGPT. The main role of this marketplace in the underground illicit economy is to provide a platform for automated transactions of illegal or stolen goods (such as stolen accounts or payment cards, malware, and even drugs and ammunition), with all payments made in cryptocurrencies, serving as a bridge to build crime.
- Fishing in the Wild Network
Cybercriminals can also use AI technology to increase the number of phishing threats in the wild, and it only takes one success to trigger a massive data breach that can cause millions of dollars in financial losses and irreparable reputational damage.
Security testing of ChatGPT
In addition, some security researchers have begun testing ChatGPT’s ability to generate malicious code. For example, Dr. Suleyman Ozarslan, a security researcher and co-founder of Picus Security, recently used ChatGPT to create not only phishing campaigns, but also ransomware for MacOS.
“I entered a prompt asking it to write a World Cup-themed email for a phishing simulation, and it ended up creating one in perfect English in just a few seconds.” Ozarslan said that while ChatGPT was aware that phishing attacks can be used for malicious purposes and can cause harm to individuals and businesses, it still generated the email.
Regarding the risks of such emails, Lomy Ovadia, vice president of research and development at email security provider IRONSCALES, said, “When it comes to cybersecurity, ChatGPT can offer attackers much more than what they are targeting. This is especially true for business email (BEC), an attack that relies on the use of spoofed content to impersonate colleagues, company VIPs, vendors and even customers.”
AI won’t stop moving forward
While security teams can also use ChatGPT for defensive purposes, such as testing code, it lowers the barrier to entry for cyber attacks and undoubtedly further exacerbates the threat.
But it also offers some positive use cases. A number of ethical hackers are now using existing AI techniques to help write vulnerability reports, generate code samples, and identify trends in large data sets.
Human oversight as well as some manual configuration is also needed to make AI work positively, and it cannot always rely on the absolute most up-to-date data and intelligence to run and train.
ChatGPT is still young, chatbots are one of the hottest offshoots of AI right now with a bright future, and the world of AI is not stopping for fear of risk.
Reference source
https://www.solidot.org/story?sid=73838
https://research.checkpoint.com/2023/opwnai-cybercriminals-starting-to-use-chatgpt/
https://news.cnyes.com/news/id/5058514