Hive0163 Uses AI-Assisted Slopoly Malware for Persistent Access in Ransomware Attacks

Hive0163 Uses AI-Assisted Slopoly Malware for Persistent Access in Ransomware Attacks Ravie LakshmananMar 12, 2026Artificial Intelligence / Malware Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated malware codenamed Slopoly put to use by a financially motivated threat actor named Hive0163. "Although still relatively unspectacular, AI-generated malware such as Slopoly shows how easily threat actors can weaponize AI to develop new malware frameworks in a fraction of the time it used to take," IBM X-Force researcher Golo Mühr said in a report shared with The Hacker News. Hive0163's operations are driven by extortion through large-scale data exfiltration and ransomware. The e-crime group is primarily associated with a wide range of malicious tools, including NodeSnake, Interlock RAT, JunkFiction loader, and Interlock ransomware. In one ransomware attack observed by the company in early 2026, the threat actor was observed deploying Slopoly during the post-exploitation phase so as to maintain persistent access to the compromised server for more than a week. Slopoly's discovery can be traced back to a PowerShell script that's likely deployed into the "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Runtime\" folder by means of a builder. Persistence is achieved by setting up a scheduled task called "Runtime Broker." There are signs that the malware was developed with the help of an as-yet-undetermined large language model (LLM). This includes the presence of extensive comments, logging, error handling, and accurately named variables. The comments also describe the script as a "Polymorphic C2 Persistence Client," indicating that it's part of a command-and-control (C2) framework. "However, the script does not possess any advanced techniques and can hardly be considered polymorphic, since it's unable to modify its own code during execution," Mühr noted. "The builder may, however, generate new clients with different randomized configuration values and function names, which is standard practice among malware builders." The PowerShell script functions as a full-fledged backdoor that can beacon a heartbeat message containing system information to a C2 server every 30 seconds, poll for a new command every 50 seconds, execute it via "cmd.exe," and relay the results back to the server. The exact nature of the commands run on the compromised network is currently unknown. The attack in itself is said to have leveraged the ClickFix social engineering tactic to trick the victim into running a PowerShell command, which then downloads NodeSnake, a known malware attributed to Hive0163. A first-stage component, NodeSnake, is designed to run shell commands, establish persistence, and retrieve and launch a wider malware framework referred to as Interlock RAT. Hive0163 has a track record of employing ClickFix and malvertising for initial access. Another method the threat actor uses to establish a foothold is by relying on initial access brokers such as TA569 (aka SocGholish) and TAG-124 (aka KongTuke and LandUpdate808).  The framework has multiple implementations in PowerShell, PHP, C/C++, Java, and JavaScript to support both Windows and Linux. Like NodeSnake, it also communicates with a remote server to fetch commands that allow it to launch a SOCKS5 proxy tunnel, spawn a reverse shell on the infected machine, and deliver more payloads, such as Interlock ransomware and Slopoly. The emergence of Slopoly adds to a growing list of AI-assisted malware, which also includes VoidLink and PromptSpy, highlighting how bad actors are using the technology to accelerate malware development and scale their operations. "The introduction of AI-generated malware does not pose a new or sophisticated threat from a technical standpoint," IBM X-Force said. "It disproportionately enables threat actors by reducing the time an operator needs to develop and execute an attack." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Google News, Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE     Tweet Share Share SHARE  artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, IBM X-Force, Malware, powershell, ransomware, social engineering, Threat Intelligence Trending News OpenAI Codex Security Scanned 1.2 Million Commits and Found 10,561 High-Severity Issues APT28 Tied to CVE-2026-21513 MSHTML 0-Day Exploited Before Feb 2026 Patch Tuesday ClawJacked Flaw Lets Malicious Sites Hijack Local OpenClaw AI Agents via WebSocket Starkiller Phishing Suite Uses AitM Reverse Proxy to Bypass Multi-Factor Authentication Anthropic Finds 22 Firefox Vulnerabilities Using Claude Opus 4.6 AI Model Open-Source CyberStrikeAI Deployed in AI-Driven FortiGate Attacks Across 55 Countries 149 Hacktivist DDoS Attacks Hit 110 Organizations in 16 Countries After Middle East Conflict New Chrome Vulnerability Let Malicious Extensions Escalate Privileges via Gemini Panel Google Confirms CVE-2026-21385 in Qualcomm Android Component Exploited Coruna iOS Exploit Kit Uses 23 Exploits Across Five Chains Targeting iOS 13–17.2.1 ThreatsDay Bulletin: DDR5 Bot Scalping, Samsung TV Tracking, Reddit Privacy Fine and More ⚡ Weekly Recap: Qualcomm 0-Day, iOS Exploit Chains, AirSnitch Attack and Vibe-Coded Malware Cisco Confirms Active Exploitation of Two Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Vulnerabilities Microsoft Reveals ClickFix Campaign Using Windows Terminal to Deploy Lumma Stealer Popular Resources 19,053 Confirmed Breaches in 2025 – Key Trends and Predictions for 2026 Identity Controls Checklist: Find Missing Protections in Apps Self-Hosted WAF: Block SQLi, XSS, and Bots Before They Reach Your Apps Read CYBER360 2026: From Zero Trust Limits to Data-Centric Security Paths