Within mere hours: China faces a deadly threat
Security researchers have developed an attack tool named WeWorm that takes over WeChat accounts and spreads between phones without an answer. The development took a week, and the company reported to the White House and Tencent. In China, awareness of digital vulnerabilities is rising, and the simulated breach is expected to trigger a regulatory investigation.
According to a report in the New York Times, researchers from the security firm Calif have developed an advanced attack tool named WeWorm, capable of taking over a user's WeChat account, calling their contacts, and spreading from one mobile phone to another without the victim answering the call. The development took just over a week, and the company reported the serious security breach to the White House and the Chinese company Tencent, which owns the app. In China, awareness of digital vulnerabilities is rising. Kyle Chan from the Brookings Institution noted that the incident illustrates the potential for hostile states and actors to use artificial intelligence to attack national infrastructure. However, the security dilemma complicates cooperation between the powers: while Beijing seeks to bolster its cyber defenses, Washington fears these systems could be used for attacks against American companies. The deputy head of the CIA, Michael Ellis, stated that Chinese companies are a legitimate target for technological espionage. The simulated breach is expected to trigger a strict regulatory investigation into Tencent domestically.