Hackers can now use AI agents, couple thousand dollars to break into websites
OVER the past couple of weeks, a cybersecurity researcher watched as a Chinese-speaking hacker broke into websites belonging to more than 100 companies, including farm equipment maker Deere, home appliance company SharkNinja and engine manufacturer Cummins .
Over the past fortnight, a cybersecurity researcher observed a Chinese-speaking hacker infiltrate websites of more than a hundred companies, including Deere, SharkNinja, and Cummins, with minimal effort. The cybercriminal relied heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) agents to probe and breach targeted sites autonomously, according to Snorre Fagerland, principal threat researcher at NorForge.
Fagerland discovered the hacker among several he identified while scanning the web for Cairn, an open-source AI problem-solving platform often used maliciously. Fagerland found approximately two dozen instances of Cairn being used for illicit activities starting around October 2, allowing him to observe the cybercriminal's activities.
The rise of autonomous AI tools has raised concerns about the power of a single malicious actor to carry out complex intrusions without human intervention. While it's unclear if the breaches led to unauthorized data extraction, Deere stated it had taken remedial measures and found no evidence of sensitive information being accessed.
Similarly, SharkNinja and Cummins said they were investigating the potential cyber-attack on a third-party vendor's website. Two smaller businesses also confirmed being compromised. One of the hackers stole credit card data, while another attempted to rob a cryptocurrency exchange. The Chinese-speaking hacker was the most productive, attempting to breach over 1,200 sites in less than a month.
Fagerland estimated the campaign utilized around $5,000 worth of tokens, equivalent to about $50 per successful hack. The author of Cairn, known as le1xia0 on social media, acknowledged receiving a Reuters message but declined to answer questions. Although Cairn's creator claimed their platform isn't designed for hacking, Fagerland emphasized the alarming potential of agentic AI systems to autonomously discover vulnerabilities, conduct intrusions, and steal data.
The phenomenon has increased anxiety globally, with South Korea and Japan recently experiencing well-publicized hacks attributed to AI-using cybercriminals.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
