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TL;DR
Reuters, citing the attackers’ records, reports that an operator used AI agents to breach websites at more than 100 companies after probing over 1,200 sites. NorForge estimates the campaign’s AI costs at about $5,000, or roughly $50 per successful intrusion, but says that estimate carries considerable uncertainty; the amount of data taken is unknown.
An operator used AI agents to probe more than 1,200 websites and break into websites at more than 100 companies, according to records reviewed by Reuters and security firm NorForge. NorForge estimates the campaign’s AI costs at roughly $50 per successful intrusion, though it says the estimate is considerably uncertain; the full extent of any data theft remains unknown.
The activity began on September 25 and targeted online shops in the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan, according to the source report. Reuters counted the company website breaches from the attacker’s own activity records. NorForge’s research describes a large cluster of operations, which it labels AIA0001, and says it observed more than 1,100 attack projects across 14 exposed Cairn control panels. Its report says the targets were mostly in the United States, Japan and Australia.
The agents were coordinated using Cairn, a free, open-source platform for running AI agents. NorForge researcher Snorre Fagerland found internet-accessible Cairn dashboards, some without passwords, and monitored activity through them. NorForge says the system let agents record findings and planned actions on a shared state board, allowing work to continue across multiple steps—one aspect of AI performance tracking. The report measured successful projects at a little under 23 hours from start to goal on average; one lasted more than five days.
NorForge estimates the campaign used about $5,000 in AI services, which it translates to approximately $50 per successful hack. That is an estimate, not a confirmed accounting of the operator’s total expenses. Reuters identified Deere, SharkNinja and Cummins among the companies whose websites were affected. Deere told Reuters 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.
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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Lower Costs, More Intrusion Attempts
The reported campaign points to a change in the scale and persistence of online attacks: one operator could assign software agents to keep testing websites over long periods, rather than personally carrying out each step. If the cost estimate is broadly accurate, automation may make repeated probing less expensive for attackers. But the $50 figure is not a general price for breaking into a company, and the evidence does not establish that every target was equally vulnerable or that the campaign produced the same result at each site.
The reported victims also show why smaller or peripheral web properties matter. A product-support site or a vendor-operated site may connect to a company’s systems or customers, even if it is not the company’s main website. The incidents place renewed attention on how businesses monitor third-party services and older web assets. They also raise a practical challenge for security teams: automated activity can produce a large volume of alerts and require prompt review, while the operator’s identity may remain unknown.
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How Researchers Found Cairn Panels
The investigation followed a September report by Gambit Security, which described a separate campaign involving AI agent tools including Cairn, Hermes and Strix. According to the source material, Gambit found evidence that at least 27 companies were compromised and that at least 600,000 card records were taken from two companies. That was a distinct campaign; it does not establish that the October activity involved the same operator or data theft.
NorForge searched for exposed Cairn dashboards using internet-indexing services. Fagerland found more than 20 panels that the firm linked to likely malicious use, with new panels appearing over time. NorForge grouped the activity into three clusters and published its findings on October 19; Reuters published its own investigation that day. NorForge’s report did not name the victims. Reuters said it identified companies by independently reviewing activity in Cairn and contacting them.
The platform’s stated purpose is not limited to cybersecurity. Cairn’s author, who uses the name le1xia0, told Reuters it was not designed for hacking and that harmful use was not the author’s intention. The source material identifies the operator only as a Chinese-speaking actor; it does not establish the person’s name, location or affiliation.
““considerable” uncertainty”
— NorForge
Data Loss and Attribution Remain Unknown
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; the source material does not provide equivalent findings for every company. SharkNinja said the threat was contained, while Cummins said it was investigating a potential attack involving a third-party vendor’s website.
The cost figure is also not a verified bill: NorForge estimated about $5,000 in AI costs and characterized the uncertainty as considerable. The source does not provide a detailed accounting of model usage, other infrastructure expenses or any money the operator may have spent outside AI services. Nor has the operator been publicly identified in the source material, which reports no arrest or charge. Reuters’ count of company breaches is based on its review of attacker records, but the source does not detail the outcome for every targeted site.
Company Inquiries and Security Reviews
The affected companies’ investigations and remediation efforts will determine whether further information emerges about access, data exposure or the role of third-party services. Cummins said it was investigating the incident involving a vendor-operated website. Deere and SharkNinja have described steps or findings, but the source material gives no schedule for additional updates from any of the companies.
NorForge’s report and Reuters’ review provide a view into the campaign through exposed control panels and attacker records. Further confirmation would depend on company disclosures, forensic findings and any law-enforcement action. For now, the reported number of sites and the estimated cost describe this particular campaign; they do not establish how often comparable operations are occurring or what the financial impact was on the affected businesses.
Key Questions
Did AI agents breach more than 100 company websites?
Reuters reported breaches at websites of more than 100 companies, based on its review of the attacker’s activity records. The source material does not describe the outcome for every target in detail.
Does a successful intrusion really cost about $50?
That is NorForge’s estimate: about $5,000 in AI costs for the campaign, or roughly $50 per successful hack. The firm says the estimate has considerable uncertainty and it is not a confirmed total of all expenses.
Was sensitive customer data stolen?
It is not clear how much data, if any, was taken. Deere said it had no indication that sensitive information was accessed. The source material does not give a campaign-wide determination.
Who operated the AI agents?
The operator has not been identified in the source material. It describes the person only as a Chinese-speaking actor and reports no arrest or charge.
Was Cairn built as a hacking tool?
Cairn is a general-purpose, open-source agent platform, according to the report. Its author told Reuters it was not designed for hacking attacks and said harmful use was not the author’s intention.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
