Hackers Use Autonomous AI Agents to Breach Company Websites, Target Over 1,200 Sites

A Chinese-speaking hacker group used autonomous AI agents powered by the open-source tool Cairn to breach over 1,200 company websites, including Deere, SharkNinja, and Cummins, aiming to gain persistent access to online shops and payment systems. Security researchers discovered the attacks by finding exposed control panels left open on the internet and confirmed multiple successful compromises. The tool was originally designed for authorized penetration testing but was repurposed for malicious,,