PromptSpy: First Android Malware Using Generative AI at Runtime

ESET researchers disclosed PromptSpy, the first known malware that weaponizes Google's Gemini AI at runtime. The malware sends device screen data to Gemini, which returns natural-language instructions for achieving persistence — tapping specific UI elements, avoiding detection, maintaining background access. It includes lockscreen capture, screen recording, and a full VNC module. Distribution masquerades as Chase Bank. This is a paradigm shift: malware that adapts to arbitrary device states by delegating decision-making to a foundation model is fundamentally harder to detect than signature-based threats. What to do: Audit your AI API keys' usage patterns. If you're building mobile apps, ensure accessibility services permissions are properly restricted. This validates the "cognitive rootkit" attack class.