Attackers abuse Gemini AI to develop ‘Thinking Robot’ malware and data processing agent for spying purposes

Nation-state goons and cybercrime rings are experimenting with Gemini to develop a "Thinking Robot" malware module that can rewrite its own code to avoid detection, and build an AI agent that tracks enemies' behavior, according to Google Threat Intelligence Group.

In its most recent AI Threat Tracker, published Wednesday, the Chocolate Factory says it observed a shift in adversarial behavior over the past year. 

Attackers are no longer just using Gemini for productivity gains - things like translating and tailoring phishing lures, looking up information about surveillance targets, using AI for tech support, and writing some software scripts. They are also trialing AI-enabled malware in their operations, we're told. 

For example, APT42, the cyber-arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has long used AI for phishing campaigns and as a translation tool. 

More recently, however, the government goons attempted to use Gemini to build a "data processing agent ...