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TL;DR
A Chinese-speaking operator used Cairn, an open-source AI-agent platform, in a campaign that attempted to access more than 1,200 websites and broke into sites belonging to more than 100 companies, according to Reuters’ review of attacker records. NorForge observed exposed Cairn control panels, while the cost estimates and extent of any data theft remain uncertain.
A Chinese-speaking operator used AI agents coordinated through Cairn to probe online shops from September 25 into mid-October, with Reuters reporting that attacker records showed break-ins at websites belonging to more than 100 companies. The campaign matters because it shows how one operator could direct software to pursue targets for hours at a time, although the amount of data accessed or taken has not been established.
According to Reuters and NorForge, the agents attempted to access more than 1,200 websites across the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan. Reuters identified companies whose websites were listed in the attacker’s activity records, including farm-equipment maker Deere, appliance maker SharkNinja and engine maker Cummins. NorForge’s report describes the activity but does not name victims; Reuters said it reviewed Cairn activity independently and contacted companies.
NorForge researcher Snorre Fagerland found exposed Cairn dashboards while searching for internet-accessible control panels. The firm linked more than 20 panels to likely malicious use and grouped activity into three clusters. The largest, which NorForge labels AIA0001, recorded more than 1,100 attack projects across 14 panels, according to the firm. NorForge measured successful projects in that cluster as taking a little under 23 hours on average, with one lasting more than five days.
The reported cost is an estimate, not an audited total. Fagerland put AI expenses at roughly $5,000 for the campaign, or about $50 per successful intrusion; NorForge cautioned that uncertainty around the estimate was considerable. Reuters could not determine how much information, if any, the attackers obtained from the affected websites.
One operator, a swarm of agents
The campaign in numbers
What the researcher and Reuters report about the busiest group NorForge found. Counts come from the attackers’ own exposed panels; cost and success figures are estimates.
The price tag estimates
NorForge / Fagerland, “uncertainty considerable”
- ~$5 per task on average, including tasks that fail early
- $100+ for long projects with more than 1,000 intents and facts
- ~$5,000 in AI costs for the campaign, about $50 per successful hack
- ~10% success rate, NorForge’s “reasonable assumption”
How the swarm runs
Simplified, no attack details
- Shop websites are ranked by traffic and checked automatically in a browser
- Each target becomes a Cairn project: a starting point and a goal
- Agents post facts and next steps on a shared board and build on each other
- Goal: a hidden way back in to shop and payment systems, for later
- 22 SepGambit reportGambitCairn found among three AI harnesses on a criminal’s staging server (separate campaign)
- 25 SepCampaign startsReutersA Chinese-speaking operator turns agents on shops in the US, Canada, Australia and Japan
- ≈ 2 OctOpen panels foundReutersFagerland starts finding Cairn panels in malicious use, about two dozen
- mid-Oct1,200+ sites triedReutersBreaks into websites of 100+ companies, incl. Deere, SharkNinja, Cummins
- 19 OctReport and investigationNorForge · ReutersNorForge publishes “Inside Cairn”; Reuters publishes its investigation
Sources: NorForge, Inside Cairn (19 Oct 2026); Reuters (19 Oct 2026); Gambit Security (22 Sep 2026). Numbers as published, same rounding as the article.
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Why Automated Patience Matters
The reported campaign points to a shift in how attackers can allocate time. AI agents can keep working through a target’s web presence and share findings with one another, reducing the need for an operator to direct every step manually. That does not mean the software acted without human involvement: the source describes an operator setting instructions and agents pursuing them, while the exact degree of ongoing supervision is not clear.
For companies, the concern extends beyond their main corporate website. A separate support site, a vendor-operated page or an overlooked online store may have weaker oversight and still provide an entry point. Third-party web services and exposed management panels can therefore matter to security teams alongside primary systems. Automated activity may also increase the volume of alerts and reports defenders have to review, though the source material does not quantify that effect.
The findings do not establish that AI alone made the intrusions possible or that the attacks would have failed without it. They do show, according to the researchers’ observations, that a relatively small number of operators may be able to coordinate persistent, multi-site probing through agent software. That possibility raises practical questions about how organizations inventory public-facing sites and monitor systems operated by vendors.
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How Cairn Entered the Investigation
The investigation followed a September report by Gambit Security, which said it recovered a criminal staging server containing three AI harnesses: Hermes, Strix and Cairn. Such harnesses let AI models carry out tasks in a sequence. NorForge then searched for Cairn’s web dashboards, some of which were accessible without a password, according to the firm. Fagerland began identifying panels associated with suspected malicious use around October 2.
NorForge published its findings on October 19, the same day Reuters published its investigation. NorForge describes Cairn as a general-purpose, state-based problem-solving engine, not a tool built specifically for cyberattacks. The platform’s author, who uses the name le1xia0, told Reuters that Cairn was not designed for hacking and that harmful use was not the author’s intention.
The September Gambit report described a separate agent-driven campaign. Gambit said it found at least 27 companies compromised and at least 600,000 card records taken from two of them. That reporting is relevant evidence that agent-based tools have appeared in more than one investigation, but it does not establish that the September activity and the later Cairn campaign had the same operator or victims.
“It is a state-based problem solving engine, moving step by step in the general direction of a defined solution.”
— NorForge report
What the Breach Records Cannot Show
The available reporting does not establish how much data, if any, was taken, whether attackers accessed sensitive information, or whether they later used or sold any access. Reuters could not determine the amount of data involved. The campaign’s full scope is also uncertain: the more-than-100 company figure comes from Reuters’ review of attacker records, while NorForge’s published report does not identify victims.
Company responses differ in what they confirm. Deere told Reuters it had no indication that sensitive information was accessed. SharkNinja said a standalone product-support site was affected and that the threat had been contained. Cummins said it was investigating a potential attack on a site run by a third-party vendor. These statements do not establish a common level of access across all named companies.
The cost figure is also uncertain. NorForge’s estimate of about $5,000, or roughly $50 per successful intrusion, depends on assumptions about AI usage and campaign activity; the firm itself described the uncertainty as considerable. The identity of the operator is unknown. NorForge characterized the actor as Chinese-speaking, but that does not establish the person’s identity, location or affiliation.
Company Reviews and Panel Exposure
The affected organizations’ investigations will determine whether any information was accessed and whether additional remediation is needed. Deere, SharkNinja and Cummins have given Reuters different accounts of their response, but the source material does not report a final investigation outcome or a confirmed total for data affected.
For security teams, the immediate follow-up is to review public-facing sites and vendor-operated services, and to check whether administrative dashboards are exposed without authorization. NorForge’s findings also leave open how many Cairn panels remain accessible and whether the activity it grouped into separate clusters is connected. As of October 30, no arrest or charge had been reported in the source material.
Key Questions
What happened in the reported campaign?
An operator used Cairn-coordinated AI agents to probe online shops. Reuters said attacker records showed attempts against more than 1,200 sites and break-ins at websites belonging to more than 100 companies.
Which companies were named?
Reuters named Deere, SharkNinja and Cummins among the companies linked to affected websites. Their reported descriptions differ: Deere said it had no indication sensitive information was accessed, SharkNinja said a standalone support site was hit and the threat contained, and Cummins said it was investigating a potential incident involving a vendor-operated website.
Was customer or company data stolen?
The available reporting does not confirm how much data, if any, was taken. Reuters said it could not establish the amount, and the source material does not report a confirmed campaign-wide data-theft total.
Who operated the agents?
The operator has not been identified. NorForge characterized the actor as Chinese-speaking; that description does not establish the person’s identity, location or affiliation.
Was Cairn created for cyberattacks?
No. NorForge describes Cairn as a general-purpose problem-solving platform. Its author, using the name le1xia0, told Reuters the tool was not designed for hacking attacks and that harmful use was not the author’s intention.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
