Anonymous Sudan Attacks ChatGPT

The hacker group Anonymous Sudan, reportedly associated with Russia, emerges as the orchestrator behind disruptions affecting OpenAI's widely used ChatGPT.

Their motivation, declared on 8 November via Telegram, points to allegations of OpenAI supporting Israel through investment exploration.

This cyber assault not only highlights vulnerabilities in advanced AI platforms but also unveils a geopolitical narrative entwining cyber warfare, Russia's interests, and the Israel-Hamas tensions.

Who is Anonymous Sudan?

As per Trustwave SpiderLabs researchers, Anonymous Sudan is an offshoot of the pro-Russian Killnet threat group.

The group doesn't have financial motivations, with its targets aligning closely with those opposed by Russia.

Notably, major Anonymous operations groups disassociate themselves from Anonymous Sudan, as indicated by the researchers.

The primary source of information about Anonymous Sudan stems from the group's Telegram channel, established on 18 January 2023, just days before initiating its first attack.

Anonymous Sudan Attack Agenda

The turbulence began on 8 November when OpenAI reported periodic outages attributing the disruption to an abnormal traffic pattern.

ChatGPT, with around 100 million weekly users, faced a cyber onslaught resembling a distributed denial of service attack.

Anonymous Sudan, known for past DDoS operations against Microsoft and various international organisations.

The group presents itself as a "hacktivist" group, but cybersecurity researchers view it as aligning with Russia's geopolitical objectives.

The aftermath intensifies strained relations between Israel and Russia, influenced by the October Hamas attack.

Anonymous Sudan's alleged involvement in the OpenAI cyber assault adds complexity to the geopolitical landscape.

With Israel filing an official complaint against Russia, the incident prompts questions about motives, potential diplomatic implications, and whether it signifies an extension of existing geopolitical hostilities.