Ankura CTIX FLASH Update - October 15, 2024

Ransomware/Malware Activity

OpenAI Reports on Threat Actors using ChatGPT to Advance Cyber Attacks

OpenAI recently released an October 2024 report "Influence and cyber operations: an update" which the company releases as a form of transparency reporting regarding their efforts to identify, prevent, and disrupt attempts to abuse their models for harmful ends. The report states that OpenAI has disrupted more than twenty (20) operations and deceptive networks from around the world maliciously using their Large Language Model (LLM) – ChatGPT – since May 2024. While cybersecurity experts identified campaigns that were assessed to have leveraged Generative AI in the creation of malware earlier this year, this report from OpenAI is the first official confirmation of the practice. Activities outlined in the report include those performed by threat actors "SweetSpecter", "CyberAv3ngers", and "Storm-0817". SweetSpecter is linked to China, and OpenAI was directly targeted