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TL;DR
Reuters reported that AI agents coordinated through the open-source Cairn platform broke into websites belonging to more than 100 companies, based on records left in exposed control panels and its own victim checks. NorForge estimated the campaign cost about $5,000 in AI expenses, or roughly $50 per successful intrusion; data theft and the full impact remain unclear.
A Chinese-speaking operator used AI agents coordinated through the open-source Cairn platform to break into websites linked to more than 100 companies, according to Reuters’ October 19 investigation and records reviewed by the news organization. NorForge estimated the campaign’s AI expenses at about $5,000 total, or roughly $50 per successful intrusion, but the estimate is uncertain and Reuters could not establish how much data, if any, was taken.
The activity began on September 25, according to records from the attackers’ Cairn control panels. By mid-October, the agents had tried more than 1,200 websites, Reuters reported. The targets included online shops in the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan. Reuters identified affected sites associated with companies including farm-equipment maker Deere, appliance maker SharkNinja and engine maker Cummins. NorForge’s report, published October 19, described several groups of exposed Cairn panels linked to likely malicious activity; it did not name victims.
NorForge researcher Snorre Fagerland found Cairn dashboards accessible without passwords and was able to observe activity through them. The firm said it linked more than 20 exposed panels to likely malicious use. For the largest activity cluster, which NorForge labels AIA0001, it counted more than 1,100 attack projects across 14 panels. Reuters said it independently reviewed the attacker’s Cairn activity to identify company websites and contacted the companies. Two smaller businesses acknowledged that they had been compromised; other contacted victims did not reply.
NorForge measured successful projects in the largest cluster as taking just under 23 hours from start to goal on average, with around 140 recorded facts per project. One ran for more than five days. The firm’s estimate of roughly $50 per successful intrusion comes from its estimate of AI costs for this campaign, and NorForge described the calculation as carrying “considerable” uncertainty. It is not a reported price charged to victims, nor a general cost benchmark for cyberattacks.
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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The Cost of Persistent Intrusions
The reported figure points to a change in the economics of repeated probing: an operator may be able to assign many software agents to work through potential targets over long periods, rather than directing every step personally. The $50 estimate is specific to NorForge’s analysis of this campaign, and the source material does not establish how it compares with other attacks. Still, a low estimated operating cost could make it easier to attempt intrusions at scale, including against smaller organizations with limited security teams.
The reported target range also matters. Activity included online shops and company websites, and NorForge’s interpretation was that the operator sought persistent access to e-commerce or payment infrastructure for possible later monetization. That is an assessment of intent, not proof that payment systems were reached or that information was stolen. Deere said it took “necessary remediation actions” and had “no indication that sensitive information was accessed.” SharkNinja said a standalone product-support site was hit and the threat was contained. Cummins said it was investigating a potential attack on a website operated by a third-party vendor.
For defenders, the episode highlights the possible exposure of support pages, vendor-run sites and overlooked web systems, not just a company’s main storefront. It also presents a monitoring problem: automated activity can generate many observations and alerts, while security staff still need to determine which attempts became real compromises. The report does not show that AI agents remove the need for human operators; it describes an operator setting tasks and a system carrying out extended, coordinated work.
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How Cairn Panels Exposed Activity
Cairn is an open-source platform for coordinating AI agents, rather than a hacking tool by definition. NorForge described it as a state-based problem-solving engine: agents share information and planned actions through a common workspace, while an operator can supply guidance. The firm said its researcher searched for internet-accessible Cairn dashboards and found some without authentication. Those exposed panels gave him a view of activity that would otherwise have been difficult to observe.
The reports followed a separate September investigation by Gambit Security. Gambit said it found three AI harnesses, including Cairn, on a criminal staging server and documented a distinct agent-driven campaign involving at least 27 companies. It reported that at least 600,000 card records were taken from two of them. That September campaign is separate evidence of agent-assisted criminal activity; the available material does not establish that the same operator or victims were involved in both cases.
Cairn’s author, who uses the name le1xia0, told Reuters the platform was not designed for hacking attacks and that harmful use was not their intention. The platform’s general-purpose design and the operator’s reported use are separate facts: the presence of an open-source tool does not by itself identify who conducted an intrusion or establish the tool developer’s involvement.
““a little under 23 hours””
— NorForge report
Data Loss and Attribution Remain Open
Reuters could not establish how much data, if any, was taken in the reported campaign. Deere said it had no indication that sensitive information was accessed, while SharkNinja said a standalone product-support site was affected and the threat contained. Cummins described its case as a potential attack on a third-party vendor’s website and said it was investigating. Those company statements describe different situations and do not resolve the overall scope.
The operator’s identity is also unknown. The source material describes a Chinese-speaking actor based on the activity, not a named person, and reports no arrest or charge. NorForge’s cost figure is an estimate with considerable uncertainty, not an audited bill. The reports also do not establish whether the agents reached payment systems, whether access was later sold or used, or how many of the more than 1,200 attempted sites were successfully compromised beyond the more than 100 companies Reuters reported.
Company Reviews and Security Follow-Up
The companies’ investigations and remediation efforts will determine whether the reported website access led to exposure of customer, business or payment information. Cummins said it was investigating a potential attack involving a third-party vendor; the source material does not provide a final finding. Reuters and NorForge may also report further details if additional victims or evidence are confirmed.
For now, the key distinction is between attempted activity, reported website break-ins and proven data theft: the first two are described in the reports, while the extent of any data loss remains unsettled. The exposed Cairn dashboards gave researchers an unusually direct view of the campaign, but the available reporting does not resolve the operator’s identity or the eventual use of any access gained.
Key Questions
What does “$50 per break-in” mean?
It is NorForge’s estimate of the AI costs per successful intrusion in this campaign, based on an estimated $5,000 in total AI costs. NorForge said the calculation carries considerable uncertainty; it is not a fee paid by victims or a universal cost for cyberattacks.
How many company websites were affected?
Reuters reported break-ins at websites associated with more than 100 companies, based on the attacker’s records and its own review. The agents had tried more than 1,200 sites by mid-October, but the reports do not give a complete, independently verified list of all affected websites.
Was customer or payment information stolen?
That has not been established for this campaign. Reuters could not determine how much data, if any, was taken. Deere reported no indication that sensitive information was accessed, while the other company statements described their cases without confirming a broader data loss.
Is Cairn itself a hacking tool?
Cairn is an open-source platform for coordinating AI agents, according to NorForge’s description. Its author told Reuters it was not designed for hacking attacks. The reporting describes its use by an operator in this campaign, but does not establish that the platform’s author was involved.
Who carried out the campaign?
The operator has not been publicly identified. The reports describe a Chinese-speaking actor based on the activity, but do not name a person or report an arrest or charge.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
