Anthropic's Mythos AI, a tool that has already disrupted the tech and financial sectors by exposing widespread software vulnerabilities, has now successfully compromised macOS, which is widely regarded as one of the most secure operating systems globally. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, researchers used Mythos to uncover deep-rooted security flaws that had remained hidden until now. The breakthrough was significant, and the Palo Alto-based researchers who led the test reportedly drove directly to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino to hand-deliver their findings.
How Mythos 'Hacked' Apple's macOS
What makes this discovery alarming is not just that the AI tool found a bug but how it approached the problem. Mythos did not rely on a single error in Apple's code; instead, it executed a “chained attack.” The AI identified two separate, minor bugs in the macOS system and linked them together. By combining these flaws, Mythos was able to corrupt the Mac’s memory, gaining access to sensitive parts of the device that are supposed to be completely off-limits. The researchers stated that if exploited by hackers, this vulnerability could allow them to take full control of the victim’s computer, bypassing nearly all of Apple’s built-in security measures.
The Human-AI Team
While the AI’s ability to find these vulnerabilities is impressive, researchers noted that Mythos did not act entirely on its own. The “hack” was a collaborative effort between the AI and skilled security professionals. Experts believe that although the AI has an exceptional capability to spot tiny errors in millions of lines of code, it still requires human guidance to execute the final, complex stages of a system takeover. However, the speed and accuracy with which the AI identified the flaws suggest that “AI-assisted hacking” is becoming a major threat. Recently, Google claimed that it thwarted an AI-backed hacking campaign.
What Apple Has to Say
Apple is currently reviewing the data provided by the research team. In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, a spokesperson said, “Security is our top priority, and we take reports of potential vulnerabilities very seriously.” The tech giant has not yet confirmed if a patch or security update has been released to fix the specific holes discovered by Mythos. Most details about the vulnerabilities are being kept secret to prevent other hackers from using the same path before a fix is ready.
This incident underscores the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, where AI tools like Mythos can both help identify threats and potentially be weaponized. The collaboration between human experts and AI systems is likely to become more critical in defending against sophisticated cyberattacks.
