Threat actors have increasingly been using legitimate artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of malware distribution, with a particular focus on compromising organizations around the globe. While all of this is scary enough, it’s the invasion of programs we commonly think of as productivity-enhancing software that demonstrates a new level of cybercrime sophistication. This scheme includes a number of high-profile, impressive programs. These are just a few of our products— AppSuite, Epi Browser, JustAskJacky, Manual Finder, OneStart, PDF Editor, Recipe Lister, Tampered Chef.
The consequences of this national distribution weighed heavily on the minds of those present. Cybersecurity experts are warning that the threat isn’t a one-off but part of a broader developing campaign. It is this combination of these applications that enables the attackers to breach both corporate and personal spaces—often without detection.
The Mechanism Behind the Attack
Unsurprisingly, the threat actors behind applications such as OneStart, Manual Finder, and AppSuite utilize the same server infrastructure. As a result, they are incredibly dependent on this system to distribute and configure their programs. That shared infrastructure further increases their capacity to carry out attacks with an even higher degree of efficiency.
Tampered Chef, originally known as a rogue recipe app, creates an encrypted channel to its command-and-control server. This channel further enables it to take commands that can lead to widespread data theft. As security researchers warn, the progression of these tactics is a sign that malware deployment is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“The TamperedChef campaign illustrates how threat actors are evolving their delivery mechanisms by weaponizing potentially unwanted applications, abusing digital code signing, and deploying covert encoding techniques,” – Field Effect.
Identifying the Threat
Security experts have characterized EvilAI as a serious and evolving threat campaign. This malware hides itself behind the guise of AI or productivity applications. With its professional interfaces and valid digital signatures, it is difficult for users and security systems to detect this activity as malicious and harmful software.
“EvilAI disguises itself as productivity or AI-enhanced tools, with professional-looking interfaces and valid digital signatures that make it difficult for users and security tools to distinguish it from legitimate software,” – Trend Micro.
The threat landscape becomes even more complex with the addition of these trojans which impersonate legitimate software. It’s how they sometimes get long-term access to systems while escaping detection. As noted by Trend Micro, attackers have shifted their tactics from overtly malicious files to more subtle forms of infiltration.
“Rather than relying on obviously malicious files, these trojans mimic the appearance of real software to go unnoticed into both corporate and personal environments, often gaining persistent access before raising any suspicion,” – Trend Micro.
Broader Implications and Future Risks
With the new threat of malware disguised as AI tools presenting various challenges to organizations around the world, these concerns are ever-growing. The rapid deployment of these programs nationwide indicates a sophisticated nationwide coordinated attack by cybercriminals.
“This swift, widespread distribution across multiple regions strongly indicates that EvilAI is not an isolated incident but rather an active and evolving campaign currently circulating in the wild,” – security researchers Jeffrey Francis Bonaobra and colleagues.
Technologies such as NeutralinoJS allow these threats to run JavaScript payloads. They introduce two-way interaction with native system APIs. This emboldens an attacker’s ability to retain covert file system access, spawn processes and communicate over the network, increasing the challenge of detection even more.
“The use of NeutralinoJS to execute JavaScript payloads and interact with native system APIs enabled covert file system access, process spawning, and network communication,” – Field Effect.
That reality means security organizations need to stay proactive and agile as they walk through this changing threat environment. Democratizing AI for user-friendly and highly accessible legitimate tools gives threat actors a fertile recruiting ground to use on or lure in unwitting users. Our security measures need to change if we want to stay one step ahead of these complex tactics.