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TL;DR
Reuters reported that an unidentified Chinese-speaking operator used Cairn, an open-source AI-agent platform, in a campaign that broke into websites linked to more than 100 companies. NorForge observed exposed control panels and estimated the campaign’s AI costs, but the amount of data accessed or taken has not been established.
An unidentified Chinese-speaking operator used AI agents on the open-source platform Cairn in a campaign that breached websites associated with more than 100 companies, Reuters reported on October 19, citing its review of the attacker’s activity records. The campaign targeted online shops and related sites across several countries; the extent of any data theft remains unknown.
According to Reuters and security firm NorForge, the operator began directing the agents at online shops on September 25. By mid-October, the activity had involved attempts against more than 1,200 sites. Reuters identified affected companies including farm-equipment maker Deere, appliance company SharkNinja and engine manufacturer Cummins. The company count and victim identifications are attributed to Reuters’ review of Cairn activity, not to a public list in NorForge’s report.
NorForge researcher Snorre Fagerland found internet-accessible Cairn control panels, some without passwords, while searching for exposed dashboards. NorForge said it identified more than 20 panels it associated with likely malicious use and grouped activity into three clusters. Its largest cluster, AIA0001, used Chinese-language task instructions. The firm counted more than 1,100 attack projects across 14 panels in that cluster, aimed mainly at the United States, Japan and Australia.
The companies gave Reuters differing accounts of their response. Deere said it took “necessary remediation actions” and had no indication that sensitive information was accessed. SharkNinja said a standalone product-support site was affected and the threat was contained. Cummins said it was investigating a potential attack on a website operated by a third-party vendor. Reuters said it could not establish how much data, if any, was taken.
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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Automation Expands the Attack Surface
The reported campaign shows how AI agents can automate extended sequences of reconnaissance and testing, allowing an operator to pursue many targets with less hands-on work. NorForge measured a little under 23 hours from start to goal for successful projects in the AIA0001 cluster, with about 140 recorded facts per project. One project ran for more than five days. Those figures describe activity in the observed records; they do not prove that every attempt succeeded or that the same timing applies to other campaigns.
NorForge estimated roughly $5,000 in AI costs for the campaign, or about $50 per successful intrusion, while warning that the estimate carried “considerable” uncertainty. If that estimate is broadly representative, automation may lower the cost of patiently testing a large number of sites. That could put pressure on companies to monitor not only their main storefronts but also support pages, vendor-operated sites and exposed administrative tools.
The incident also raises a practical monitoring challenge: automated activity can produce a large volume of alerts and investigation leads. Security teams still need to distinguish harmless probing from access that could expose customer or payment information. The reporting establishes a wide campaign and company responses, but not a complete account of its consequences.
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How Cairn Panels Revealed Activity
The reporting followed a separate September investigation by Gambit Security, which described finding three AI “harnesses”—software that lets models act through tools—on a criminal staging server. One was Cairn. NorForge then searched for exposed dashboards used to coordinate Cairn agents. It said most panels required authorization, but some did not, making it possible for researchers to observe activity through the open control interfaces.
Cairn is described by NorForge as a general-purpose, state-based problem-solving engine, rather than a hacking product. Agents can share findings and proposed next steps through a common workspace, while an operator supplies a goal or occasional guidance. Reuters’ investigation connected activity in the largest cluster to company websites; NorForge’s report itself did not name victims.
The September Gambit report concerns a separate campaign, not the one Reuters linked to the October reporting. Gambit said that campaign compromised at least 27 companies and that at least 600,000 card records were taken from two of them. Those figures should not be applied to the Cairn campaign described here.
““Necessary remediation actions” were taken, and the company had “no indication that sensitive information was accessed.””
— Deere, in a statement to Reuters
Data Access and Attribution Remain Open
The operator’s identity is unknown. The source material describes the person behind the campaign as a Chinese-speaking actor; that does not establish nationality, location or a link to a government. No arrest or charge is reported in the cited material.
It is also unclear whether the intrusions resulted in data being viewed, copied or removed, and Reuters could not determine the amount of information involved. Deere said it had no indication of sensitive information being accessed, while SharkNinja and Cummins described their own incidents and responses. These company statements do not resolve the overall scope of the campaign.
NorForge’s cost figure is an estimate, not an audited accounting of the operator’s spending. Its report associates exposed Cairn panels with likely malicious activity, but the available material does not establish that every exposed panel or recorded project belonged to the same operator.
Company Investigations and Reporting
The affected organizations’ investigations and remediation efforts will determine whether more can be established about access, data exposure and any effects on customers. Cummins said it was investigating the potential attack on a vendor-operated website. Reuters reported that some victims did not respond to its inquiries, leaving parts of the picture incomplete.
Security teams and researchers may continue monitoring exposed agent dashboards and publishing findings about related activity. For now, the clearest next developments would be company updates or further evidence that clarifies what information was accessed and who operated the campaign. No arrest, charge or confirmed account of data theft in this campaign is reported in the material available here.
Key Questions
What happened in the reported campaign?
Reuters reported that an unidentified Chinese-speaking operator used Cairn AI agents to target online shops and related websites. Based on its review of the operator’s activity records, Reuters identified breaches at websites associated with more than 100 companies.
Which companies were named?
Reuters named Deere, SharkNinja and Cummins among the affected companies. Their statements describe different sites and responses; the reporting does not provide a complete public victim list.
Was customer or payment data stolen?
The available reporting does not establish whether data was taken or how much may have been involved. Reuters said it could not determine the amount, if any, and Deere said it had no indication sensitive information was accessed.
Who was behind the campaign?
The operator has not been identified. The source material describes a Chinese-speaking actor, but that description alone does not establish the person’s identity, nationality or affiliation.
Was Cairn built as a hacking tool?
NorForge describes Cairn as a general-purpose problem-solving platform. Its author, using the name le1xia0, said the platform was not designed for hacking attacks and that harmful use was not their intention.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
