The tech world is all abuzz over ChatGPT, the AI chatbot trained by OpenAI (founded by Elon Musk, Sam Altman and others). The large language model has exploded on the scene, amassing 1 million users in the first five days of its launch in late 2022. The security community is highly interested in this AI tool — and so are hackers. From writing malware code to generating a never-ending stream of phishing campaigns, many have named ChatGPT a dream platform for cyber actors. But what about the good guys?
Nearly any technology these days is a double-edged sword. So how are security pros looking at ChatGPT to help thwart cyber threats? Let’s find out.
Imagine a Russian-speaking cyber gang trying to write a sophisticated spear phishing message targeting a US-based CEO. The hacker would either have to be a language expert or hire a native writer. But now, in seconds, they can just ask ChatGPT to produce a nearly infinite number of believable phishing messages.
Attackers are already using ChatGPT to write malicious code. From infostealer to ransomware to entire Dark Web marketplaces, actors on underground forums are boasting about how they are using the AI chatbot to accelerate their efforts.
Legitimate research has also explored how ChatGPT could impact security. As reported by SC Media, security researcher Dr. Suleyman Ozarslan stated that he was able to utilize the program for a variety of offensive and defensive cybersecurity tasks. These included crafting a World Cup-related email in fluent English, generating Sigma detection rules to identify cybersecurity anomalies and creating evasion code that could circumvent detection rules.
Experts compare ChatGPT to other software, such as Cobalt Strike and Metasploit, which are popular with security professionals and attackers alike. These tools are useful for legitimate penetration testing and simulating potential adversaries. But hacking groups also use the tools to help them break into their victims’ systems.
Jeff Pollard, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, said the emergence of ChatGPT has enabled him to consider how companies might practically leverage AI for defensive cybersecurity work, as per SC Media.
“I do think there is an aspect of looking at what it’s doing now, and it’s not that hard to see a future where you could take a SOC analyst that maybe has less experience, hasn’t seen as much and they’ve got something like this sitting alongside them that helps them communicate the information, maybe helps them understand or contextualize it, maybe it offers insights about what to do next,” Pollard said.
The strength and versatility of ChatGPT caught the attention of HackerSploit, who did a variety of tests with the chatbot online. He asked the AI chatbot how to scan for SMB (Server Message Block) vulnerabilities with Nmap. I repeated the question on my own, and the results were striking:
ChatGPT explained the process in detail and even included code snippets. What really caught my attention was the part in the answer that said (emphasis added):
“You can also use the NSE script smb-vuln-ms17-010 to check if the target is vulnerable to the ETERNALBLUE exploit, a SMB vulnerability that was used in the WannaCry attack nmap –script smb-vuln-ms17-010 <target>”
For Red Team cybersecurity teams (and criminals), the implications are massive. And what about Blue Team defensive efforts? HackerSploit asked these questions and received high-level answers:
HackerSploit also asked ChatGPT to find problems in a PHP code with a known vulnerability. ChatGPT not only identified the security weakness but also provided the code to fix it.
As cyberattacks grow in volume and complexity, artificial intelligence is already assisting under-staffed security teams to mitigate threats. Curating threat intelligence from across research sources, blogs and news stories, AI technologies like machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) provide actionable insight that cuts through the clutter. And all this drastically reduces response times.
Meanwhile, cognitive security combines the strengths of AI and human intelligence. Cognitive computing is an advanced type of artificial intelligence that leverages machine-learning algorithms and deep-learning networks. And these systems get stronger and smarter over time.
ChatGPT isn’t without its own bugs. Users have flagged the answers the chatbot provides for errors on numerous occasions. And, of course, you should always thoroughly test any code the AI writes before use. Still, the machine continues to learn as it interacts with the world. By design, it will get better and better at providing accurate answers.
Powerful AI tools are already available for both cyber criminals and security teams. The difference will be in which side learns to use the tools with more precision and efficiency. The worry is that these kinds of tools continue to lower the bar for malicious actors to launch attacks. As time goes on, even the most rudimentary skills might be enough to build dangerous cyber campaigns.
While organizations might be able to defend themselves using similar tools, what about the everyday person? How can the masses hope to outwit criminals armed with advanced AI tech?
Maybe, if ChatGPT-like tools remain accessible to everyone, all we will have to do is ask, “How should I defend myself against the threat of cyberattack?” And the chatbot will give us a detailed answer right away.
Jonathan Reed is a freelance technology writer. For the last decade, he has written about a wide range of topics including cybersecurity, Industry 4.0, AI/ML…
3 min read – The rise in digital technology is creating opportunities for individuals and organizations to achieve unprecedented success. It’s also creating new challenges, particularly in protecting sensitive personal and financial information. Personally identifiable information (PII) is trivial to manage. It’s often spread…
4 min read – Discover how threat actors are waging attacks and how to proactively protect your organization with top findings from the 2023 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index.
12 min read – Dive into the biggest highlights from this year’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index with report author Michael Worley, a strategic cyber threat analyst at IBM Security. Listen now on Into the Breach.
According to a recent report, the number of attacks on the government sector saw a massive upswing in the second half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic led to rapid digitization in government organizations, including a significant increase in remote systems access. This expanded the attack surface and further enabled malicious actors to use cyber warfare as a means to target other nations.Cyberattacks continue to affect the entire public sector, including schools and local…
On September 15, 2022, Uber employees logged on to see an unexpected message on the company’s Slack channel. It said, “Hi @here, I announce I am a hacker and Uber has suffered a data breach.” At first, many thought it was a joke. But the reality was not funny in the slightest. The intruder didn’t only infiltrate Slack: Uber’s domain admin, Amazon Web Services admin and GSuite were reportedly among the company’s compromised accounts. As per Group-IB, the hacker gained…
Public safety organizations are common cyberattack targets. But a recent Verizon survey of these organizations reveals that only 15% feel they are “very prepared” against cyberattacks. This survey coincides with a Resecurity report that cites an increase in malicious activity targeting law enforcement agencies during Q2 2022. Any incident can potentially impact community welfare and public safety. The challenge remains in how to improve security on tight public budgets. Luckily, a few simple tactics can begin to make a meaningful…
Technical and non-physical attacks have always been a part of modern warfare. During World War II, the Allies used advanced cryptanalysis to decrypt encoded messages sent by the Axis powers using the Enigma ciphering system. Led by Alan Turing, this breakthrough provided the Allies with valuable military intelligence and helped win the war. Fast forward to present-day warfare, where the cyber front has never been more intense. On February 24, Russia’s computer hackers targeted Ukraine’s satellite communications system, run by…
Analysis and insights from hundreds of the brightest minds in the cybersecurity industry to help you prove compliance, grow business and stop threats.
Leave a Reply