Zero-Click AI Worm Can Hack WeChat Accounts Via Calls
The Facts
- Researchers at Palo Alto-based security firm Calif published a demonstration Tuesday of AI-built WeWorm, which they describe as the first zero-click worm able to spread through WeChat calls on both Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems.
- The flaw is a memory corruption issue in WeChat's voice-calling stack. Calif said exploitation takes seconds and grants full control of an account, allowing an attacker to read and send messages, make calls and act on the victim's behalf.
- In the demo, a Pixel 10a called an iPhone 17e and hijacked its WeChat while the phone was still ringing, then used that compromised iPhone to call and take over a second Pixel 10a. The targets did not need to answer or touch their phones.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Narrative A
This is a real-world nightmare — one security experts have long warned about — come to life. In the span of just about a week, a small team using AI was able to build this worm, which previously would've taken months. With more than a billion users now sitting in the blast radius, publishing this report was a necessary step toward developing safeguards before hackers take control of everyone's devices.
Narrative B
This is a marketing stunt meant to attract Big Tech clients, not protect the public. Just like coronavirus gain-of-function and the so-called 'rogue' AI agents, where sloppy researchers opened the floodgates, the same crowd cashing in on AI safety funding keeps using staged demos as global emergencies. Meanwhile, hackers continue targeting everything from personal devices to energy infrastructure, leaving only the tech companies safe.
Metaculus Prediction
The Controversies
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