SECURITYTHE REGISTER
Nobody needs Mythos or 0-days to build a chaos-causing computer worm – free open source models work just fine
University of Toronto researchers demonstrated a computer worm built using a free, publicly available open-weight AI model released in 2025. The worm exploits known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations to spread through networks, highlighting that advanced AI models like Mythos are not required to create significant cyber threats.
Mentioned
Related Signal
Adjacent reporting
- Researchers show how AI-powered worms could wreak havoc on the internet
- U of T researchers demonstrate AI worm could target any online device
- Anthropic offers EU access to Mythos
- Your MTTD Looks Great. Your Post-Alert Gap Doesn't
- The next phase of AI cybersecurity still needs humans
- Worm Redux: Fresh Mini Shai-Hulud Infections Bite Supply Chain