Building ransomware in the CPU is absolutely dastardly! It has several advantages, including access to processes and data, stealth from all traditional security tools, and resistant to most eviction practices.

Elite researcher built a proof-of-concept, that should make hardware makers and cybersecurity professionals a nervous, and talked about it at RSA this year.

https://www.bulbapp.io/p/ad0aa9af-416c-4da5-834a-d747c71e691f/hacking-the-hardware-brains-of-computers-is-the-ultimate-cyberattack