A new malware campaign is raising concerns about the growing use of AI in cybersecurity, with researchers warning that attackers are now designing malicious software to evade AI-assisted detection systems.
According to security researchers, the malware contains instructions that tell large language model (LLM)-based security tools to stop analysing the code or refuse to process it. This approach is aimed at bypassing AI-powered malware analysis used by many enterprises.
The newly identified malware, named macOS.Gaslight, targets macOS devices. Researchers said Apple’s XProtect security system detects the sample under the rule MACOS_BONZAI_COBUCH. The malware has been linked to the BONZAI signature family, which researchers associate with North Korean threat activity.
This is not the first case of malware specifically designed to evade AI-based security tools. Similar techniques were first documented around 1 year ago, while another security report later identified a separate malware payload that also used embedded instructions to avoid detection by AI models.
The growing trend was also highlighted in a recent file security report, with cybersecurity experts warning that AI-assisted protection should not be viewed as a complete security solution.
Researchers believe these attacks mark the beginning of a new generation of cyber threats specifically built to exploit AI-powered security systems. They cautioned that as AI-assisted malware analysis becomes more common, attackers are likely to develop increasingly sophisticated techniques to bypass automated detection.
The findings reinforce the need for organisations to combine AI-powered security with traditional cybersecurity measures, human expertise, and multiple layers of defence rather than relying solely on AI-based protection.
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