Agentic Remote Access Trojans Powered by Dolphin-family SLMs
Research indicates a transition from AI-assisted to AI-embedded malware through the integration of 8B-parameter Dolphin-family Small Language Models (SLMs) into Remote Access Trojans (RATs). These agentic RATs utilize quantized local inference engines, such as LM Studio, to execute an autonomous "Observe-Decide-Act" (ODA) loop on compromised commodity hardware. By performing reasoning locally, the malware reduces dependency on Command & Control (C2) communication and cloud APIs, effectively minimizing network-based telemetry and bypassing traditional EDR/NDR detection. While current operational reliability is constrained by model hallucinations (~10.9% success rate), the architectural feasibility of achieving autonomous root-shell access represents a Tier 3 sophistication level in modern offensive AI.