Hackers Target ChatGPT Outage, Citing Dehumanization of Palestinians

Anonymous Sudan Claims Responsibility for ChatGPT Outages

The recent outage of ChatGPT may have been the result of a targeted attack by hacker group Anonymous Sudan. The group has claimed responsibility for the outages and has stated that it will continue its efforts until ChatGPT ceases its "dehumanizing views of Palestinians" on the messaging platform Telegram.

Possible Connection to Pro-Russian Hacker Group

There is a possibility that Anonymous Sudan is related to the pro-Russian hacking group known as Killnet. Both groups have been involved in cyberattacks, and it is speculated that they may share a connection. Further investigations are needed to confirm this.

ChatGPT's History of Outages and Errors

ChatGPT has experienced multiple outages and elevated error rates in recent months. The most recent outage lasted for approximately 40 minutes on December 13. This followed a major outage on November 8, which lasted for over 90 minutes. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has not provided a specific reason for these outages.

Anonymous Sudan's Motivations and Targets

According to their statements on Telegram, Anonymous Sudan's cyberattacks on OpenAI extend beyond their concerns about the views of Tal Broda, OpenAI's head of research platform. The group has criticized OpenAI's collaboration with Israel, referring to it as the "occupation state." They believe that ChatGPT exhibits bias against Palestine and in favor of Israel. The group also expresses concerns that AI developed by Israel could be used to further oppress Palestinians.

OpenAI's Response and Denial-of-Service Attacks

OpenAI has not responded to requests for comment regarding the most recent attack. However, they did acknowledge that the November 8 outage was caused by a targeted attack. Anonymous Sudan utilizes denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, flooding the target service with artificially generated traffic. It is unlikely that OpenAI's internal networks were breached during these attacks.

Anonymous Sudan's Motivations and Targeting

The motivations behind Anonymous Sudan's attacks are not entirely clear. While they have claimed responsibility for attacks in Europe in response to perceived anti-Islamic activity, some cybersecurity experts believe their focus is primarily on Sudan, where the majority of the population identifies as Muslim. It is also possible that Anonymous Sudan has connections to the pro-Russian hacking group Killnet, which has a history of DDoS attacks.

Implications for US Companies and Other Targets

Anonymous Sudan has expressed its intention to target "any American company." This poses a potential threat to US organizations that may become victims of future cyberattacks. It is crucial for companies to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect their networks and systems.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that Anonymous Sudan has previously targeted various organizations, including the video game Rocket League under Epic Games, and has called for the expansion of Starlink internet services to Sudan.

As the situation continues to unfold, it is important for cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies to closely monitor the activities of Anonymous Sudan and other hacking groups to ensure the safety and security of individuals and organizations.

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By: lvaranasi@insider.com (Lakshmi Varanasi)
Title: Hackers Target ChatGPT Outage, Citing Dehumanization of Palestinians
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/hackers-behind-chatgpt-outage-bot-must-stop-dehumanizing-palestinians-2023-12
Published Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 20:48:02 +0000