AI tools becoming hot commodities on ransomware marketplaces

AI tools are being sold increasingly on underground ransomware marketplaces, with sales growing from 38 posts in December 2025 to 1,486 in February 2026. These tools include weaponized LLMs (large language models without safety protections), deepfakes for identity fraud, AI-enhanced malware, and stolen AI accounts, making it easier for criminals to launch attacks at scale. The source notes that while criminal security is weaker than it appears and criminals sometimes steal from each other, ransomware attacks have grown 20% since 2023 and become significantly more profitable.