Google Says Hackers Used AI To Create Zero Day Security Flaw For the First Time

Source: Slashdot

Overview

Google says it has seen the first evidence of cybercriminals using AI to create a zero‑day vulnerability. Google reported its findings to the unnamed firm affected by the vulnerability before releasing its report, and the company then issued a patch to fix the issue.

Details of the Report

The Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) released a report on Monday that details the development of the AI‑generated zero‑day exploit. The full report can be read here.

Key points from the report:

• Zero‑day exploits are the most serious type of security flaw because they are not detected by security companies and have no known fixes.
• This is the first time Google has seen evidence of AI being used to develop such vulnerabilities, marking a major shift in the cybersecurity landscape.
• The report indicates that newer AI models could be used to create major exploits, not just to find them.

Findings on Specific AI Models

Google concluded that Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model—known for finding thousands of vulnerabilities across major operating systems and web browsers—was most likely not used to create the zero‑day exploit.

The GTIG report also highlights:

• Efforts by Russia‑linked hacking groups to use AI models to target Ukrainian networks with malware.
• Use of AI technologies by the North Korean government hacking group APT45 to refine and scale up its cyber methods.

Expert Commentary

John Hultquist, chief analyst at the Google Threat Intelligence Group, said the findings make clear that the race to use AI to find network vulnerabilities has “already begun.”

“For every zero‑day we can trace back to AI, there are probably many more out there,” Hultquist said. “Threat actors are using AI to boost the speed, scale, and sophistication of their attacks.”