Android Malware SURXRAT Now Downloads a 23GB AI Brain From Hugging Face — Yes, Really

Dark Android phone with red glowing cracks and data streams being siphoned by hooded hacker

Just when you thought Android malware couldn't get any more audacious, meet SURXRAT V5 — a sophisticated remote access trojan that not only steals your data, locks your screen for ransom, and eavesdrops on your calls, but also downloads a 23-gigabyte large language model from Hugging Face onto your phone. Because apparently, even cybercriminals are pivoting to AI.

What Is SURXRAT?

Discovered by Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL), SURXRAT V5 is a commercially operated Android RAT (Remote Access Trojan) sold through Telegram channels using a malware-as-a-service model. Think of it as the SaaS of cybercrime — complete with tiered pricing plans.

The "Reseller Plan" costs $200,000 for permanent access, while the "Partner Plan" runs $500,000 with additional privileges. Both plans include daily build limits and server upgrades. It's essentially enterprise software, except the product is crime.

The AI Twist

Here's where it gets truly bizarre. SURXRAT conditionally downloads a massive 23GB LLM module from Hugging Face — the open-source AI model repository used by legitimate researchers worldwide. The download is triggered by specific gaming applications or direct attacker commands.

Researchers believe the LLM could be used for disrupting gameplay, concealing malicious activity behind seemingly legitimate AI processes, or — most worryingly — enabling AI-assisted social engineering attacks. Imagine malware that can craft personalized phishing messages in real-time based on your stolen data. That's not science fiction anymore.

The Full Surveillance Package

Beyond the AI experiments, SURXRAT is a comprehensive surveillance platform. It can harvest SMS messages, call logs, Gmail data, and browser history. It records audio through your microphone, captures photos from your camera, sends SMS messages on your behalf, and even initiates phone calls. A ransomware-style screen locker rounds out the feature set for direct extortion.

The Bigger Problem

The malware-as-a-service model is what makes SURXRAT particularly dangerous. By packaging sophisticated attack capabilities into a subscription product, it dramatically lowers the barrier to entry for cybercriminals. You no longer need to be a skilled hacker — you just need $200,000 and a Telegram account.

And the integration of LLMs from open-source platforms like Hugging Face raises uncomfortable questions about the dual-use nature of AI research. The same tools that power ChatGPT-like assistants and academic research are now being weaponized by malware operators. It's the "democratization of AI" that nobody asked for.

The Bottom Line

SURXRAT V5 represents a disturbing convergence: enterprise-grade malware distribution meets AI-powered attack capabilities. The fact that cybercriminals are investing in integrating LLMs into their tools suggests they see genuine value in AI-assisted attacks — and that should concern everyone running an Android device.