Google’s AI Tool Big Sleep Uncovered Critical SQLite 0-Day Vulnerability and Blocks Active Exploitation

Google’s revolutionary AI-powered security tool, Big Sleep, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by discovering and preventing the exploitation of a critical SQLite 0-day vulnerability, marking the first time an artificial intelligence agent has directly thwarted active cyber threats in the wild. 

The discovery of CVE-2025-6965, a severe security flaw that was known only to threat actors, demonstrates the transformative potential of AI in cybersecurity defense.

Key Takeaways
1. Google's Big Sleep AI discovered and prevented exploitation of a critical SQLite 0-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-6965).
2. First AI agent to directly stop active cyber threats before exploitation occurred.
3. Used threat intelligence to predict imminent attacks and enable preventive action.
4. Demonstrates AI's shift from reactive to proactive cybersecurity defense.

Big Sleep AI Prevents SQLite 0-Day Exploitation

Big Sleep, an AI agent developed collaboratively by Google DeepMind and Google Project Zero, successfully identified the SQLite vulnerability CVE-2025-6965 through advanced threat intelligence analysis. 

This critical security flaw represented a significant risk as it was exclusively known to malicious actors who were preparing to exploit it against unsuspecting targets. 

The vulnerability affected SQLite, a widely used database engine embedded in countless applications and systems worldwide.

The AI agent’s discovery process involved analyzing threat intelligence data from Google Threat Intelligence, which provided crucial insights into emerging attack patterns and potential vulnerabilities. 

Through sophisticated pattern recognition and vulnerability assessment algorithms, Big Sleep was able to predict that the SQLite flaw was “imminently going to be used” by threat actors. 

This proactive identification allowed Google’s security team to implement defensive measures and coordinate with SQLite developers to patch the vulnerability before any successful exploitation occurred.

This achievement represents a paradigm shift in cybersecurity, as Big Sleep has “exceeded expectations and accelerated AI-powered vulnerability research” since its initial deployment. 

The AI agent’s capabilities extend beyond traditional vulnerability scanning, incorporating predictive analysis and real-time threat assessment to identify zero-day vulnerabilities before they can be weaponized.

The success builds upon Big Sleep’s previous accomplishments, including finding its first real-world security vulnerability in November 2024, which demonstrated the “immense potential of AI to plug security holes before they impact users”. 

The system’s ability to process vast amounts of security data and identify previously unknown vulnerabilities has proven invaluable for protecting both Google’s products and widely used open-source projects.

According to the Report, Google’s approach emphasizes responsible AI deployment, with the company outlining secure-by-design principles that ensure human oversight and transparency in AI agent operations. 

This breakthrough establishes a new standard for proactive cybersecurity defense, potentially revolutionizing how organizations protect against sophisticated cyber threats.

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