cybersecurity researchers have revealed that popular artificial intelligence assistants can be manipulated to act as covert communication channels for malware. This technique, demonstrated against Microsoft Copilot and xAI Grok, allows malicious actors to hide their activities within legitimate enterprise network traffic, posing a significant new threat to corporate security.
The discovery was made by a team of security analysts who identified a method to repurpose the web browsing functions of these AI tools. By exploiting the capability of AI assistants to fetch and process information from URLs, attackers can establish a stealthy command-and-control, or C2, infrastructure.
How the Attack Method Works
In a typical cyberattack, malware on a compromised computer needs to communicate with an attacker’s server to receive instructions. This server is known as a command-and-control server. Security systems often detect and block these communications because they originate from known malicious domains or suspicious IP addresses.
The new technique bypasses these defenses by using the AI assistant as an intermediary. An attacker can embed commands within a seemingly benign webpage. The AI assistant, when prompted by the malware, visits that page, retrieves the hidden commands, and relays them back to the infected machine. To network monitoring tools, this traffic appears as normal, legitimate queries from a trusted AI service.
Targeting Major AI Platforms
Researchers successfully tested this attack vector against two prominent AI services. Microsoft Copilot, integrated into the Windows operating system and Microsoft Edge browser, was found vulnerable due to its web search functionality. Similarly, xAI’s Grok AI, which also features real-time web access, could be abused in the same manner.
The core vulnerability lies not in a software bug, but in the legitimate design of these services. Their purpose is to access the internet to provide users with current information. Attackers are misusing this intended feature to create a proxy that masks malicious traffic.
Implications for Enterprise Security
This development presents a serious challenge for security teams. Enterprise networks commonly whitelist traffic to and from major services like Microsoft and xAI to ensure business operations run smoothly. Blocking these services is often not a practical option. Consequently, malware using this C2 proxy method can operate undetected, blending into allowed data flows.
The technique enables a range of malicious activities. Attackers could use it to maintain persistence on a network, exfiltrate stolen data slowly, or deploy additional payloads, all while evading standard detection mechanisms that look for anomalous external communications.
Industry and Vendor Response
Microsoft and xAI have been notified of the research findings. Security experts are urging the developers of AI assistants to consider implementing safeguards. Potential mitigations could include stricter controls on URL fetching, anomaly detection within the AI’s query patterns, or enterprise-level settings to restrict the AI’s web access in high-security environments.
Organizations are advised to review their security policies regarding AI tool usage. Monitoring for unusual patterns of AI service requests, even from authorized endpoints, is becoming a necessary layer of defense. The research underscores a broader security consideration as AI tools become deeply integrated into workplace software.
Future Security Landscape
As AI assistants with web capabilities become more ubiquitous, their potential exploitation by threat actors is expected to grow. Security researchers predict that similar methods may be attempted against other AI platforms that offer real-time information retrieval. The cybersecurity community is now tasked with developing new detection signatures and behavioral analytics to identify when an AI agent’s function is being weaponized.
Official patches or configuration updates from the affected companies are anticipated in the coming weeks. In the interim, the public disclosure of this technique allows security teams worldwide to adjust their monitoring strategies and prepare for this evolving threat vector.
Source: GeekWire
