Friday, August 29, 2025

Breaking News: ‘First AI-Powered Ransomware Discovered’ – Capable of Exfiltrating, Encrypting, or Even Destroying Data

🚨 New Ransomware Alert: Meet PromptLock 🚨

In an unsettling twist reminiscent of Black Mirror, a ransomware dubbed PromptLock has emerged, leveraging AI to wreak havoc on devices without constant internet access. Built on OpenAI’s gpt-oss-20b, this malware poses a significant threat by generating malicious scripts locally.

Key Highlights:

  • Execution Mechanism: Utilizes the Ollama API to craft and execute Lua scripts on-the-fly.
  • Potential Risks: Capable of data exfiltration, encryption, or destruction (though destruction features are not yet implemented).
  • Stealthy Operation: Operates offline, making it harder to detect compared to traditional ransomware.
  • Caution Advised: Eset Research flags this as a proof of concept—future iterations may present greater dangers.

Prevention Tips:

  • Always download trusted sources
  • Avoid running AI models locally to mitigate risks.

Stay vigilant and informed! 🚀

👉 Share your thoughts on AI risks and protections in the comments!

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