🔍 Read the full analysis: How AI Agents Change The Cost Of Breaking Into Company Websites on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
Reuters, citing the operator’s Cairn activity records, reported that an AI-driven campaign attempted to probe more than 1,200 websites and broke into sites associated with more than 100 companies. NorForge estimates the campaign’s AI costs at about $5,000, but the cost and the amount of data accessed remain uncertain.
A Chinese-speaking operator used Cairn, a free, open-source AI-agent platform, to direct automated probes at online shops, with the agents reportedly breaking into websites associated with more than 100 companies, Reuters reported October 19. The campaign shows how one operator may use software agents to sustain attacks across many targets, while the number of sites affected, data accessed and campaign cost are based on different records and estimates.
According to Reuters and security firm NorForge, the activity began around September 25 and targeted online shops in the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan. By mid-October, the agents had tried more than 1,200 sites. Reuters identified companies including farm-equipment maker Deere, appliance maker SharkNinja and engine maker Cummins by reviewing Cairn activity records and contacting businesses. NorForge’s report, published October 19, described activity clusters but did not name victims.
NorForge researcher Snorre Fagerland found exposed Cairn control panels while searching internet-indexed servers. The firm said it identified more than 20 panels linked to likely malicious activity, with new ones appearing. NorForge grouped the activity into three clusters; its largest, AIA0001, used Chinese-language task instructions. The firm counted more than 1,100 attack projects across 14 panels, a figure that describes projects in those panels, not confirmed successful intrusions.
NorForge measured successful projects in the largest cluster as taking a little under 23 hours from start to goal, on average, and estimated roughly $5,000 in AI costs for the campaign, or about $50 per successful hack. The firm characterized the cost estimate as highly uncertain. Those figures do not establish the attacker’s total expenses or the financial impact on victims.
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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How Automation Changes Attack Costs
The reporting points to a change in the economics of cyberattacks: an operator can assign repeated research and probing tasks to software agents rather than conduct each step manually. NorForge’s estimate of about $50 per successful hack is not a verified accounting, but it suggests why attackers might find it worthwhile to pursue many targets even when individual attempts fail.
Automation does not make intrusions effortless or guarantee success. The reported projects took close to a day on average, and attackers still need access to exposed systems or weaknesses. But sustained, parallel activity can increase the volume of work defenders must review. The incident also highlights the importance of support sites, vendor-run websites and other connected services: an organization’s main website may not be the only route through which attackers reach its online operations.
For readers and businesses, the practical concern is not that every AI agent can break into a company. It is that tools that coordinate agents may lower the labor needed to test large numbers of sites. That can make monitoring exposed services and checking third-party systems more demanding, while requiring security teams to distinguish automated noise from a real compromise.
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Exposed Cairn Panels Revealed Activity
The campaign came to light through researchers’ access to exposed control panels, rather than a public statement by the operator. NorForge searched for Cairn dashboards that were visible on the internet; its report says most panels require authorization, but some did not. Fagerland was able to observe activity through panels that lacked password protection, according to the report.
Cairn is a general-purpose, open-source agent platform, not software designed exclusively for hacking. NorForge describes it as a system that moves through a problem toward a specified goal. In the campaign described by Reuters, agents shared findings and planned next steps through the platform, while the operator provided instructions. Cairn’s author, known as le1xia0, told Reuters it was not designed for hacking and that harmful use was not the author’s intention.
The reports also describe a separate campaign documented by Gambit Security in September. Gambit said that operation compromised at least 27 companies and took at least 600,000 card records from two of them. That is a distinct case, not evidence that the same data theft occurred in the campaign Reuters and NorForge examined.
“It is a state-based problem solving engine, moving step by step in the general direction of a defined solution.”
— NorForge report
Victim Impact Remains Unresolved
The reporting does not establish how much data, if any, was taken from the affected websites. Reuters could not determine the amount of data accessed. Deere said it had no indication that sensitive information was accessed; SharkNinja said a standalone product-support site was hit and the threat contained. Cummins said it was investigating a potential attack on a website operated by a third-party vendor.
NorForge’s cost figure is an estimate, not a disclosed bill or audited campaign total, and the firm itself described considerable uncertainty. The reports identify a Chinese-speaking operator but do not establish the person’s identity, location or affiliation. The source material reports no arrest or criminal charge. It is also not clear whether every site counted as probed was compromised, or how many of the claimed company victims experienced confirmed data exposure.
Investigations and Remediation Continue
Companies named in the reporting will need to continue investigating affected sites, checking whether attackers left persistent access and determining whether any information was exposed. Deere said it took remediation actions, SharkNinja said it contained the threat, and Cummins said its investigation was under way. The source material gives no timetable for those investigations or for further public findings.
NorForge’s findings may also prompt organizations to review internet-facing control panels and services operated by vendors. Any later account of the incident should clarify which sites were confirmed compromised, whether data was taken, and how the campaign’s costs were calculated. Those details are not yet established by the reporting available on October 30.
Key Questions
What happened in the reported campaign?
Reuters reported that an operator used Cairn AI agents to probe more than 1,200 sites, with break-ins reported at websites associated with more than 100 companies. The figures came from the operator’s activity records reviewed by Reuters and NorForge.
How much did the campaign cost?
NorForge estimated roughly $5,000 in AI costs, or about $50 per successful hack. The firm said the estimate carries considerable uncertainty; it is not a verified total of all campaign expenses.
Was sensitive company data stolen?
That has not been established. Reuters could not determine how much data, if any, was taken. Deere said it had no indication that sensitive information was accessed, while other companies described response actions or investigations.
Who operated the agents?
The reports describe a Chinese-speaking operator, but do not identify the person or establish an affiliation. The source material reports no arrest or charge.
Is Cairn itself a hacking tool?
Cairn is described as a general-purpose, open-source platform for coordinating AI agents. Its author told Reuters it was not designed for hacking, although researchers reported that it was used in the campaign.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
