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AI-Powered Ransomware 'PromptLock' Emerges, Posing New Threat

8/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

ESET researchers identified "PromptLock," the first AI-powered ransomware that creates malicious Lua scripts using OpenAI's gpt-oss-20b model.
It is currently a proof-of-concept and not fully operational.
PromptLock targets Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, utilizing the SPECK 128-bit encryption algorithm.
ESET cautions that AI-integrated malware can adapt in real-time, making detection and response more challenging.

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Story summary

ESET researchers identified "PromptLock," the first AI-powered ransomware that creates malicious Lua scripts using OpenAI's gpt-oss-20b model.
It is currently a proof-of-concept and not fully operational.
PromptLock targets Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, utilizing the SPECK 128-bit encryption algorithm.
ESET cautions that AI-integrated malware can adapt in real-time, making detection and response more challenging.