Hackers Automate Global Attack Spree Using AI Pen-Test Tool Cairn
A threat actor is leveraging the AI-powered penetration testing tool Cairn to automate large-scale attacks against hundreds of global websites, compromising high-profile targets.
Chinese-speaking threat actors have significantly amplified their malicious activities by outsourcing a vast number of attacks against e-commerce websites to the AI-driven penetration testing tool, Cairn. Researchers have identified over 20 publicly exposed dashboards actively engaged in highly automated operations aimed at stealing payment information. This campaign offers a rare glimpse into AI-assisted cyber operations, showcasing not only reconnaissance but also sophisticated workflows designed to convert vulnerability discovery into persistent access to victim infrastructure.
The attackers specifically targeted approximately 100 websites across various global regions, including the United States, Australia, Canada, and Japan. The primary focus was on e-commerce and payment infrastructure, according to a report from the security firm NorForge. The discovery was made while investigating publicly accessible AI-driven penetration-testing control panels. While NorForge initially did not name the victims, subsequent coordinated disclosures identified major organizations such as John Deere, SharkNinja, and Cummins.
The full extent of the cyber damage remains under investigation. NorForge identified three clusters of activity across the exposed infrastructure, with two assessed as malicious and primarily financially motivated, showing no clear signs of state-sponsored intrusion. "The operation is massive, with over 1,100 attack projects spread over the 14 dashboards likely associated with this group," stated Snorre Fagerland, a NorForge founding researcher. The activity included the exposure of "hundreds of potentially sensitive secrets and records showing how automated agents were instructed to identify vulnerabilities and establish persistent access to victim websites."
Consequences varied among victims. NorForge confirmed at least one attack resulted in a Web shell being installed on a commercial website, potentially granting attackers command execution capabilities. Separate operations were also observed targeting credit card data and cryptocurrency. John Deere reported taking remedial action without indication of sensitive data access, while SharkNinja stated the incident was contained and affected a standalone product-support website. Cummins was investigating a potential attack on a third-party vendor's site.
A key aspect of this campaign is the attackers' use of AI agents to coordinate multiple stages of an attack as a connected workflow, rather than merely automating individual tasks. This allows for parallel project execution and sustained operations with reduced human oversight. "This isn't a single attack. It's an exposure of attacker infrastructure, a window into the tools several groups with different motivations are using," commented Tyler Oliver, CEO and founder of Huntbase.
The attackers employed Cairn to task AI agents with identifying exploitable weaknesses such as SQL injection, insecure file uploads, insecure deserialization, authentication bypasses, and server-side template injection. Some instructions explicitly directed agents to deploy Web shells for ongoing access. The operation also appeared to automate target selection, with projects including traffic-based prioritization and browser automation to verify e-commerce order processing capabilities.
This incident underscores a significant shift in cyberattack economics, driven by AI. "AI is changing the economics of cyberattacks more than the techniques themselves," noted Rickard Carlsson, CEO of Detectify. While familiar vulnerabilities were exploited, the AI agent's ability to pursue weaknesses for extended periods with minimal human involvement dramatically lowers the barrier to entry for large-scale attacks. The estimated cost per task is as low as five dollars, enabling attackers to target a much broader range of organizations, including those previously considered low-value targets.
Organizations must adapt their defenses to this new reality. The increasing adoption of AI by attackers, outpacing defenders, creates a growing gap that necessitates a rapid evolution in security strategies. The ability of AI agents to operate at machine speed and scale demands a corresponding acceleration in defensive capabilities and a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating AI-driven threats.