🔍 Read the full analysis: From One Hacker To 100+ Websites: AI Agents Shift The Workload on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
A Reuters investigation, drawing on records from exposed Cairn control panels, reported that an operator used AI agents to break into websites belonging to more than 100 companies. NorForge tracked the activity, while affected companies described remediation or ongoing investigations; the amount of data accessed or taken has not been established.
An operator using Cairn AI agents broke into websites belonging to more than 100 companies during a campaign that began in late September, Reuters reported, citing activity records recovered from the agents’ exposed control panels. The activity affected sites associated with companies including Deere, SharkNinja and Cummins, but the amount of data accessed or taken is not known.
Security firm NorForge said researcher Snorre Fagerland found internet-accessible Cairn dashboards, some without password protection, and monitored panels he linked to likely malicious activity. NorForge identified about two dozen panels involved in such activity from early October, according to the account in the source material. Its report, published October 19, grouped the observed activity into three clusters.
The largest cluster, which NorForge labels AIA0001, used Chinese-language task instructions. NorForge counted more than 1,100 attack projects across 14 panels, mainly targeting the United States, Japan and Australia. Reuters separately reported that the campaign had tried more than 1,200 sites by mid-October and that its review of the operator’s records identified break-ins at websites of more than 100 companies. These are different counts: the sources do not establish that they cover precisely the same activity or method.
NorForge measured successful AIA0001 projects as taking a little under 23 hours from start to goal, on average as described in its report. The firm estimated the campaign’s AI costs at roughly $5,000, or about $50 per successful intrusion, while warning that the estimate carried considerable uncertainty. NorForge characterized the apparent objective as gaining persistent access to e-commerce or payment infrastructure for possible later monetization; that is the firm’s assessment, not confirmation that access was sold or used to steal data.
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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Automated Intrusions Broaden the Target
The case illustrates how an operator can delegate repeated probing to multiple software agents, reducing the need to guide every step manually. NorForge described Cairn as a general-purpose problem-solving platform, not a tool built specifically for hacking. The suspected campaign’s use of it shows how general AI orchestration software can be repurposed for unauthorized activity.
For organizations, the reported focus on online shops and related infrastructure puts attention on less prominent web properties, including support pages and services run by outside vendors. A compromised site may not be a company’s main storefront, but it can still create security and customer risks. The reporting also points to a workload problem for defenders: automated activity can generate many findings and alerts that people must verify and prioritize.
The cost figures should be treated as NorForge’s estimate, not an audited campaign budget. Even so, the report raises a practical concern: if automated systems make sustained probing less labor-intensive, organizations may need to review exposed dashboards, third-party web services and access controls more regularly. The available reporting does not show that AI agents make an intrusion inevitable or that every targeted site was successfully breached.
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How Researchers Traced Cairn Activity
The investigation followed an earlier report from Gambit Security. In September, the firm said it recovered a criminal staging server containing three AI agent frameworks, including Cairn. NorForge then searched for Cairn dashboards exposed to the internet, using services that index online systems. It found panels that could be accessed without a password, although NorForge’s account says most panels required authorization.
NorForge published its analysis on October 19, the same day Reuters published its investigation. NorForge’s report did not name victims. Reuters said it reviewed the attacker’s Cairn activity independently and contacted organizations it identified. Two smaller businesses acknowledged being compromised, while other contacted victims did not respond, according to the source material. The companies named in the report gave differing accounts: Deere said it took remedial action and had no indication sensitive information was accessed; SharkNinja said a separate 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.
The source also describes a separate September campaign documented by Gambit Security, which reported at least 27 companies compromised and at least 600,000 payment-card records taken from two of them. That earlier case provides context for agent-driven cyber activity, but it is not evidence that the same operator or infrastructure was behind both campaigns.
““Most need authorization to access. Most.””
— NorForge report
Victim Impact Is Still Unclear
The operator’s identity has not been established in the reporting. NorForge described the largest activity cluster as using Chinese-language instructions; that does not identify the person responsible or establish their location. The source material reports no arrest or criminal charge.
Reuters could not establish how much data, if any, was taken. The company statements also differ in scope: Deere reported no indication of sensitive information access, SharkNinja said a standalone support site was affected, and Cummins described a potential attack on a third-party-operated site that it was investigating. The full number of affected organizations, the nature of any information exposed, and whether attackers retained or monetized access remain unsettled.
NorForge’s estimate of campaign costs is approximate, and its report’s project counts are not the same measure as Reuters’ count of sites tried or companies whose websites were breached. The available sources do not provide a complete, independently verified accounting of every attempted or successful intrusion.
Investigations and Remediation Continue
Companies named in the reporting may provide further updates as they complete investigations and determine whether information was accessed. Cummins said it was investigating the potential attack on a vendor-operated website; the source material does not give a completion date or describe the final findings. Further details about the two smaller businesses that acknowledged breaches were also not provided.
NorForge’s public report offers a record of the observed Cairn activity, but the available material does not state whether law enforcement has opened a case or whether exposed panels have since been secured. The next significant developments would be verified findings from affected organizations, clearer evidence about data exposure, and any confirmation of the operator’s identity or the campaign’s financial purpose.
Key Questions
What happened in the reported campaign?
Reuters reported that an operator used Cairn AI agents to probe online sites and break into websites linked to more than 100 companies. The campaign began in late September and continued into mid-October, according to the reporting.
Who was behind the activity?
The operator has not been identified. NorForge described the largest cluster as using Chinese-language task instructions, but that does not establish the operator’s identity or location. The source material reports no arrest or charge.
Was customer or payment data stolen?
It has not been established whether data was taken in this campaign or how much may have been accessed. Reuters could not determine the amount, and the company statements described different incidents and stages of investigation.
What is Cairn?
Cairn is an open-source platform for coordinating AI agents. NorForge described it as a general-purpose problem-solving engine. Its author said it was not designed for hacking, while the reporting says an operator used Cairn in the activity under investigation.
How much did the campaign cost?
NorForge estimated roughly $5,000 in AI costs, or about $50 per successful intrusion, but said the estimate involved considerable uncertainty. It is not an audited accounting of the campaign’s total costs.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
