Crook used three open source agents to break into a Fortune 500 hospitality company, a major US airline and 25+ other orgs
Operator’s AI bill averaged just $25 per completed scan
A criminal is utilizing three open source AI tools to infiltrate numerous online businesses, stealing over 600,000 credit card details and installing skimming software. The hacking group, which includes a Fortune 500 hospitality company, a major US airline, and over 25 other organizations, employed three distinct AI harnesses: Strix, Cairn, and Hermes.
The Chinese-speaking operator utilized these tools to conduct around 105 attacks in a 5-day period, with each attack typically taking less than 24 hours to complete. The operator accessed the targeted companies' systems using OpenRouter to gain access to AI models, spending around $7,005.71 over four weeks. The cheapest scan cost just $3.13, while the most expensive scan cost $79.31.
Each of the three AI harnesses played a unique role within the campaign, with Hermes orchestrating the attacks and using 121 skills, 78 of which were malicious. The operator employed Strix to identify vulnerabilities and Cairn to execute the attacks, using techniques such as SQL injection, obtaining one-time passwords, and escalating privileges.
In some instances, the AI agents exfiltrated over 600,000 credit card records. The campaign demonstrates how rapid AI attacks can jeopardize an organization's security in a matter of hours, emphasizing the need for swift remediation.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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