A Slopoly start to AI-enhanced ransomware attacks

In early 2026, IBM X-Force discovered a likely AI-generated novel malware which we are dubbing “Slopoly,” used during a ransomware attack. The operators are part of a group tracked as Hive0163, whose main objective is extortion through large-scale data exfiltration and ransomware. Evidence of AI adoption among high-profile cybercrime groups signals the start of a fundamental shift of dynamics within the threat landscape. 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.

The observed activity falls under the cate…