[Update] On September 21, Google reached out to us and shared an official response, noting that there are no RatHat-infected apps on the Google Play Store. The statement is below, and the original story follows:
“Based on our current detection, no apps containing this malware are found on Google Play. Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services.”
I’ve heard people using AI to improve and speed up their work. But this is the first time I’m hearing of malware taking real-time directions from an AI chatbot as it does its bad business.
Thanks to the research team at Zimperium, we know about this new kind of advanced malware. It’s called RatHat, and it uses an AI chatbot to understand what’s on the target device’s screen.
Dispatches From The Front 