A new wave of sophisticated spam, powered by the Python-based framework AkiraBot, has targeted over 400,000 websites and successfully spammed at least 80,000 domains since September 2024.
Designed to infiltrate contact forms, live chat widgets, and e-commerce platforms, AkiraBot has emerged as a versatile tool for distributing tailored spam promoting dubious Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services.
The modular bot employs advanced methods to evade CAPTCHA protections and network detection systems, posing a growing threat to small- to medium-sized businesses relying on popular website-hosting platforms such as Shopify, Wix, GoDaddy, and Squarespace.
CAPTCHA Evasion and Network Dodging Mechanisms
AkiraBot has revolutionized spam delivery by incorporating automated CAPTCHA-breaking techniques and proxy-based network evasion strategies.
By leveraging tools like Selenium WebDriver, the bot mimics legitimate user behavior to bypass hCAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA filters, including Cloudflare’s defenses.
Scripts such as “inject.js” manipulate the website’s Document Object Model (DOM) and browser fingerprints, adjusting attributes like audio context, graphics rendering, installed fonts, and hardware profiles to circumvent detection systems.
For fail-safe CAPTCHA resolution, AkiraBot integrates services like Capsolver, FastCaptcha, and NextCaptcha, ensuring uninterrupted spamming operations.
Furthermore, network evasion is achieved using proxy services like SmartProxy, enabling traffic diversification and thwarting IP-based restrictions.
The bot rotates proxies to maintain geographic anonymity, avoiding rate-limiting and system-wide blocks.
While SmartProxy markets itself as an ethical service, its infrastructure has been exploited by cybercriminals, as evident in multiple ransomware leaks referencing its credentials.
AI-Generated Spam Messages: A Rising Challenge
AkiraBot leverages advanced language models (LLMs) via OpenAI’s GPT-4o-mini API to generate personalized spam messages tailored to specific websites.
By scraping site content through tools like BeautifulSoup, the bot produces outreach messages that appear authentic and unique, increasing engagement and evading traditional spam filters.
This approach represents a significant evolution in spam tactics, as the individualized nature of AI-generated content complicates detection and blocking measures.
The bot’s GUI includes a success tracker and thread customization capabilities, allowing operators to scale their attacks across thousands of websites simultaneously.
Logs indicate that as of January 2025, AkiraBot had successfully spammed 80,000 sites while failing only on around 11,000 domains, suggesting a high success rate for its operations.
Indicators of Compromise (IoC)
The ongoing campaign utilizes a rotating set of domains associated with Akira and ServiceWrap-branded SEO services.
Domains such as akirateam[.]com, servicewrap[.]pro, and searchengineboosters[.]com have been flagged as spam-related infrastructure.
Historical DNS activity also reveals links to malvertising campaigns and banking trojans through connections with hosts like 77980.bodis[.]com.
According to the Report, these domains are frequently used as anchors in spam messages, complicating efforts to blacklist them effectively.
File archives analyzed by cybersecurity researchers contain hardcoded OpenAI API keys, proxy credentials, and JavaScript injection scripts, showcasing the bot’s reliance on sophisticated automation techniques.
Hashes of archive files and scripts such as monitor.py and v14.py have been identified, enabling security teams to track the tool’s distribution and evolution.
The emergence of AkiraBot highlights the escalating sophistication of AI-driven cyber campaigns.
Its integration of CAPTCHA bypass systems, proxy networks, and LLM technology demonstrates the increasing capability of bad actors to exploit legitimate infrastructure for malicious purposes.
As website hosting providers work to strengthen defenses, AkiraBot’s operators are likely to adapt their tactics further, emphasizing the need for continuous vigilance in combating spam attacks.
In response to AkiraBot’s abuse of OpenAI’s API services, the OpenAI security team has taken prompt action by disabling the involved API key and associated assets.
SentinelLABS has commended OpenAI’s cooperation in addressing the misuse and acknowledged their commitment to improving AI systems to detect and deter abuse.
The AkiraBot campaign is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by advancements in automation and AI technologies when exploited for malicious purposes.
Industry-wide collaboration is crucial to mitigate threats and safeguard digital communications ecosystems against emerging spam tactics.
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