By Ashwani Mishra, Editor-Technology, 63SATS
What if writing malware didn’t require a single line of coding knowledge? What if a clever storyline could trick AI into doing the dirty work for you?
That’s exactly what a cybersecurity researcher has done—ushering in what could be the next big challenge in the AI era: the rise of the “zero-knowledge” threat actor.
In a demonstration of AI vulnerability, a Cato CTRL threat intelligence researcher—with no prior experience writing malware—successfully manipulated leading generative AI tools into creating a Chrome-based credential-stealing program.
The trick? A technique the researcher dubbed “Immersive World”—an elaborate, fictional narrative used to trick AI into bypassing its ethical safeguards.
The Rise of the ‘Zero-Knowledge’ Threat Actor
This experiment wasn’t just a clever trick. It exposed a deeper shift in cybersecurity risk—the rise of the “zero-knowledge” threat actor. These are individuals who, thanks to AI, no longer need technical expertise to develop dangerous tools.
As Vitaly Simonovich, a threat researcher at Cato Networks, put it:
“We believe the rise of the zero-knowledge threat actor poses high risk to organizations because the barrier to creating malware is now substantially lowered with GenAI tools.”
This is a game-changer.
In the past, writing malware required deep technical knowledge and years of practice. Today, anyone with a vivid imagination and access to ChatGPT can become a would-be hacker—intentionally or not.
From Chatbots to Cyber Weapons
AI platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot are designed with safety in mind. Their creators have installed ethical guardrails, toxicity filters, and real-time moderation systems to prevent misuse.
But the Immersive World technique circumvents these barriers not with brute force, but with creativity. It exploits the very nature of GenAI tools—models trained to be helpful, imaginative, and contextually aware.
By disguising malicious intent behind storytelling, the researcher blurred the lines between roleplay and real-world outcomes. The AIs weren’t violating their protocols outright—they were completing narrative-based logic puzzles, one line of code at a time.
The Human Risk
While this story centres around machines, the real concern is human.
Consider a disgruntled employee, a curious teenager, or a financially desperate individual. With no prior coding skills, they can now prompt AI into crafting custom malware, phishing pages, or ransomware logic—simply by couching it in creative language.
Cybercrime is no longer gated by knowledge. It’s gated by imagination.
A New Threat Landscape
The “Immersive World” jailbreak introduces a new flavour of threat actor—one that thinks in allegory, not algorithms. One that doesn’t hack systems but hacks the very logic of AI.
And it forces us to rethink what cyber threat readiness looks like in the age of artificial intelligence.
We often imagine hackers in hoodies—tapping away in basements. But the next breach may start in a cozy café, written by someone with a good imagination and a laptop.
In the AI arms race, it’s not just about who codes the best—it’s about who tells the best story.
