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Ever since reporting earlier this year on how easy it is to trick an agentic browser, I've been following the intersections between modern AI and old-school scams. Now, there's a new convergence on the horizon: hackers are apparently using AI prompts to seed Google search results with dangerous commands. When executed by unknowing users, these commands prompt computers to give the hackers the access they need to install malware.
The warning comes by way of a recent report from detection-and-response firm Huntress. Here's how it works. First, the threat actor has a conversation with an AI assistant about a common search term, during which they prompt the AI to suggest pasting a certain command into a computer's terminal. They make the chat publicly visible and pay to boost it on Google. From then on, whenever someone searches for the term, the malicious instructions will show up high on the first page of results.
Huntress ran tests on both ChatGPT and Grok after discovering that a Mac-targeting data exfiltration attack called AMOS had originated from a simple Google search. The user of the infected device had searched "clear disk space on Mac," clicked a sponsored ChatGPT link and — lacking the training to see that the advice was hostile — executed the command. This let the attackers install the AMOS malware. The testers discovered that both chatbots replicated the attack vector.
As Huntress points out, the evil genius of this attack is that it bypasses almost all the traditional red flags we've been taught to look for. The victim doesn't have to download a file, install a suspicious executable or even click a shady link. The only things they have to trust are
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 Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Washington, D.C. today to meet with the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the upcoming App Store Accountability Act, reports Bloomberg. The App Store Accountability Act would require Apple to verify a person's age when an Apple Account is created using a "commercially available method or process," and get parental consent for each app that a child under 16 downloads.
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 The simplified smartphone switching Apple and Google are adopting is an example of how the Digital Markets Act (DMA) benefits users and developers, the European Commission said today. Apple and Google are making it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, adding an option to transfer data from another smartphone during the device setup process.
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NEW RESOURCES University of California San Francisco: UCSF Print News Preserved and Digitized Through California Revealed . "Thanks to generous support from California Revealed, a state-wide initiative to digitize, preserve, and provide […]
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WhatsApp chat could now be transferred between Android and iOS devices after the Meta-owned messaging app plans to roll out a new update.
This was revealed by the found source code of WhatsApp 22.74 Beta for iOS. However, the migration process would not be easy and would require both devices to have the app installed and would likely involve a wired or private WiFi connection. In comparison, other messaging apps store and sync user data with Google Drive, iCloud or their own cloud service.
WhatsApp recently added new features to its desktop and Android apps. The Android app will get new pencil and drawing tools in a future update, while WhatsApp Desktop will get new chat bubble colors. The desktop app also gets a new dark blue color that is only visible in dark theme mode.
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