July 10, 2024 at 07:48AM
Russian government-backed threat actors have utilized the Meliorator software’s artificial intelligence features to create fake online personas and disseminate disinformation about multiple countries. This tool allows the mass creation of seemingly authentic social media accounts and the perpetuation of false narratives. The US has seized domain names used for this activity.
From the provided meeting notes, it is evident that threat actors affiliated with the Russian government-backed media organization RT have used the Meliorator software to create fake online personas for disseminating disinformation. This poses a significant concern, as RT had access to AI-enabled bot farm generation and management software since 2022 and used it to disseminate disinformation in support of Russia’s interests. The US has taken action by seizing domain names used by the threat actors and has suspended identified accounts. Additionally, the government agencies are urging other social media platforms to assist in identifying fictitious personas to reduce Russian malign foreign influence activity.
The meeting notes also mention the details of the Meliorator software, including the use of the administrator panel named Brigadir and the seeding tool named Taras. It is highlighted that threat actors could use Meliorator to create bots based on specific parameters and had access to automated scenarios or actions that could be completed on behalf of groups of bots.
Furthermore, it is noted that the bot farm was controlled by a Russian FSB officer, a Meliorator developer, and members of a private intelligence organization, with the approval and financial support of the Presidential Administration of Russia (aka the Kremlin). This points to a significant level of organization and support behind the use of the Meliorator software for disinformation operations.
In summary, the meeting notes provide clear insights into the use of AI-enabled technology for malicious activities, with specific focus on the Meliorator software and its impact on the dissemination of disinformation by Russian threat actors.