WeChat fixes AI hack risk flagged by US firm

WeChat operator Tencent said Wednesday it had fixed a potential security issue after US cybersecurity firm Calif said it used artificial intelligence to build a worm that could exploit the app through calls.

Calif said its “WeWorm” project showed a cyberattack could spread from phone to phone by calling WeChat contacts, without the victim answering or interacting with the phone. The company said it had not unleashed the worm.

Tencent told AFP that Calif had notified it of a “potential security issue” and that the company had investigated and deployed a fix on its servers.

“The fix was deployed on our servers and is now live for all users -- no app update or any other action is required,” Tencent said. It also said it had “no evidence that the issue was exploited or that any user was affected”.

Calif said it used AI to find the WeChat vulnerability within two days and build the worm within another week. The firm said the work would previously have taken a larger team months.

WeChat is used by more than a billion people for messaging, digital payments and other services. Calif said it published its findings to raise awareness about AI-enabled cyber risks.