Now it is possible for them to hijack your computer at the CPU level

Ransomware, a malicious software designed to take control of computers and data and extort victims, continues to evolve alarmingly. Recently, researcher Christiaan Beek has shared his concern about new vulnerabilities arising in the microcode of processors, a code that sits just above the hardware and regulates its operation.

There is no way to defend oneself completely

Beek has developed a method capable of hijacking microcode updates and installing ransomware directly on the processor. This new form of attack adds to those that have already been revealed, such as an exploit in the BIOS that allows modification of microcode in some AMD processors. “From my experience in firmware security, I thought: ‘I can write ransomware for CPUs,'” Beek told the media. Although there are no plans to publicly disclose the tool, it has been confirmed that the researcher has managed to create ransomware that hides in the microcode of processors.

The importance of this innovation lies in the fact that ransomware operating at the CPU level could bypass almost all established security measures. Becker warned that if there is direct access to the machine, the impact of these attacks is even more severe. However, the researcher also emphasized that the fight against ransomware cannot be relegated to technology, highlighting a serious lack of cyber hygiene among users. “Most problems are due to user errors or their lack of action,” he stated.

The current situation reflects a standstill in the battle against ransomware. Beek noted that by 2025 we should not be talking about these types of problems, lamenting that more than a decade after the first major attacks, the foundations of cybersecurity are still not well established. With the constant technological evolution and the arrival of new trends such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, there is still a long way to go in protecting against these threats.

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