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

A Chinese-speaking criminal utilized autonomous AI agents to breach company websites with minimal intervention. The agents targeted over 1,200 sites and successfully accessed websites of more than 100 companies. The operation was observable because the control panels were left open on the internet, allowing a security researcher to witness the activity. Affected companies included a farm-equipment maker and an appliance company. The AI agents were able to break into the websites with almost no assistance. The attack's scope and accessibility were likely facilitated by the operators' mistake of leaving their control panels exposed.