Zero-Click AI Worm Can Hack WeChat Accounts Via Calls
- On Tuesday, Palo Alto-based Calif disclosed WeWorm, described as "the first zero-click worm to spread through WeChat calls across iOS and Android," threatening over 1.4 billion users before Tencent patched the vulnerability.
- Using AI, Calif discovered a "memory corruption issue in WeChat's VoIP stack" in two days and built the worm in one week, enabling attackers to take control of accounts without user interaction.
- Once inside, the worm uses friend lists to self-replicate into delivery systems; former National Security Agency chief data scientist Vinh Nguyen warned the worm could reach hundreds of millions of devices.
- Tencent stated there is no evidence that users were compromised, and customers do not need to update their apps, as Calif confirmed the flaw was mitigated for all users by August 28.
- The disclosure follows an open letter signed by more than 100 technology companies, including OpenAI, warning that AI-enabled cyberattacks could become increasingly sophisticated, as Calif urges the industry to bolster defenses.
29 Articles
29 Articles
US firm shows how AI helped hijack WeChat account with just 1 unanswered call
US cybersecurity researchers have demonstrated how artificial intelligence could help hijack WeChat accounts via unanswered voice calls, intensifying concerns about AI-driven cyber threats and prompting renewed calls for bilateral cooperation between the United States and China. US security firm Calif said on Tuesday that its AI system identified a critical flaw in Tencent Holdings’ widely used messaging and payments app in July. In just a littl…
This AI-Developed Computer Worm Could Have Hijacked a Billion Accounts
The demo attack against WeChat highlights the disturbing possibility that an AI-developed computer worm could be unleashed to hack devices globally. A cybersecurity company used AI to quickly develop a computer worm capable of hacking over a billion accounts on the Chinese messaging service WeChat.Palo Alto-based Calif disclosed the already-patched computer worm to warn the public about the threat of AI-driven hacks. …
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