Aug 26, 2025
ESET finds PromptLock, ransomware that writes its scripts with a local LLM, later tied to a research prototype
ESET Research reported PromptLock, ransomware samples uploaded to VirusTotal that use a locally run open-weight model to generate scripts for file discovery, exfiltration and encryption at runtime, and called it the first known AI-powered ransomware. In a September 3, 2025 update, ESET said the authors of an academic study had contacted it and that their research prototype closely resembles the samples, supporting ESET's view that PromptLock was a proof of concept rather than malware used in attacks.