Scientists find path to supercharge computer 'worms' with AI

Scientists find path to supercharge computer 'worms' with AI

Researchers at the University of Toronto say they have found a way to use artificial intelligence to create a dangerous computer “worm” capable of targeting any known flaw in the world’s computers and quickly spreading mayhem throughout the internet.

AI Malware Worm Adapts to New Targets in Real Time, Cybersecurity Experts Say

Researchers demonstrated an AI-powered worm that adapts to targets, generates attack strategies, and spreads across networks without cloud services.

Researchers Build Self-Replicating AI Worm That Operates Entirely on Local, Open-Weight Models

University of Toronto researchers have built and tested a proof-of-concept AI-driven computer worm that uses a locally hosted open-weight large language model to reason its way through a network, generate tailored attack strategies for each target it encounters, and replicate itself, all without human intervention and without touching a commercial AI service. The preprint, posted to arXiv on

AI worm prototype shows attackers don’t need Mythos to take over your network

Researchers from the University of Toronto developed a computer worm prototype powered by an AI agent that successfully self-replicated to different systems within a simulated computer network. The worm used a free large language model (LLM) running on local hardware and exploited a combination of older and new vulnerabilities, as well as misconfigurations that remain all too common in enterprise environments. At a time when CISOs and the securi…