Both sources report that a Chinese-speaking hacker used AI agents to break into more than 100 websites, including John Deere and SharkNinja. The attacker gave the agents fewer than 100 Chinese characters of instructions, and the agents largely operated without supervision. Tom's Hardware, citing Reuters, says the agents attempted to breach more than 1,200 sites as of the week ending October 18, 2026.
The attacks were discovered through exposed instances of an open-source AI platform — Carin in Tom's Hardware, Cairn in The Verge — that lets users set a start and end point for agents. Norforge (spelled NorForge in one report) found more than 20 exposed instances that are 'likely malicious,' according to The Verge. Tom's Hardware quotes Norforge researcher Snorre Fagerland as being impressed by the agents' tactics, such as locating a public-facing control panel and forcing malicious commands.
The sources differ on some scope details. The Verge adds Cummins as a victim and reports successful breaches took about 23 hours; Tom's Hardware does not mention Cummins or the timing. Both agree on the companies' responses: John Deere said there is no indication sensitive information was accessed, and SharkNinja said the breach affected a standalone product-support site that has been contained. The Verge also notes that Cairn's creator said the platform 'was never a hacking tool.'