{"id":37165,"date":"2026-10-13T07:37:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digife.it\/?p=37165"},"modified":"2026-10-13T07:38:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:38:47","slug":"worms-are-malware-that-spreads-across-the-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digife.it\/en\/worms-are-malware-that-spreads-across-the-network\/","title":{"rendered":"AI worm: Malware that adapts as it spreads across the network"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI worm: Malware that adapts as it spreads across the network<\/h1>\n

Researchers at the University of Toronto have demonstrated in the laboratory a worm capable of using AI models to analyze each new device, choose an attack strategy, and exploit compromised machines to continue spreading.<\/b><\/p>\n

A traditional worm already knows the path it has to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

It identifies a specific vulnerability, exploits it, and attempts to replicate itself on other devices on the network.<\/span><\/p>\n

The prototype developed by a group of researchers from the\u2019<\/span>University of Toronto<\/b><\/a> change this logic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their <\/span>AI worm<\/b> It doesn't rely on a single, pre-established vulnerability. It uses open-weighted language models to analyze the device it encounters, assess available weaknesses, and build a different strategy based on the target.<\/span><\/p>\n

The research was conducted exclusively in a digital laboratory isolated from the outside world. Therefore, it does not reveal an active malware campaign, but rather demonstrates a new potential threat class.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a computer worm?<\/b><\/h2>\n

A <\/span>worm<\/b> It is malware designed to propagate autonomously from one device to another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike many other threats, it does not necessarily require a user to continually open attachments or install programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once inside the network, it looks for other vulnerable systems and tries to replicate itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Traditionally, this behavior is linked to a specific technique.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the worm is programmed to exploit a certain vulnerability, patching that flaw can stop much of its propagation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The prototype developed by Canadian researchers instead introduces a level of adaptation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The AI worm doesn't always use the same attack<\/b><\/h2>\n

The work, published under the title <\/span>AI Agents Enable Adaptive Computer Worms<\/b>, shows a worm that generates specific strategies based on the device encountered.<\/span><\/p>\n

The system can observe the new environment and look for several weak points:<\/span><\/p>\n