From August–September 2026, Chinese-speaking attackers used an open-source AI penetration testing framework called Cairn to autonomously conduct 25 operations against at least 19 organizations. The attackers weaponized Cairn by pairing it with Chinese AI models Zhipu GLM and DeepSeek.
The attackers supplied a target and a goal, then Cairn planned, executed and recorded results on its own. These attacks achieved unauthorized access or data retrieval at 10 of the targeted organizations, including:
- Accessing dozens of valid credentials
- Mass exposing personal data (exceeding one million records at one organization)
- Retrieving military and government identities
- Creating persistent administrator accounts in a production system
- Modifying a live industry standards-ballot document
Read more…
Source: Palo Alto Unit 42
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- British spies and SAS named in Afghan data breach
July 17, 2025
The identities of more than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in a data breach that also put thousands of Afghans at risk of reprisal, it can be reported. The latest fallout from the breach was kept secret by an injunction until Thursday, when the order was lifted in ...
- Hackers are trying to steal passwords and sensitive data from users of Signal clone
July 17, 2025
Hackers are targeting a previously reported bug in the Signal clone app TeleMessage in an effort to steal users’ private data, according to security researchers and a U.S. government agency. TeleMessage, which earlier this year was revealed to be used by high-ranking officials in the Trump administration, already experienced at least one data breach in May. ...
- GhostContainer backdoor: Malware compromising Exchange servers of high-value organizations in Asia
July 17, 2025
In a recent incident response (IR) case, Kaspersky researchers discovered highly customized malware targeting Exchange infrastructure within government environments. Analysis of detection logs and clues within the sample suggests that the Exchange server was likely compromised via a known N-day vulnerability. Kaspersky in-depth analysis of the malware revealed a sophisticated, multi-functional backdoor that can be dynamically ...
- Ongoing SonicWall Secure Mobile Access (SMA) Exploitation Campaign using the OVERSTEP Backdoor
July 16, 2025
Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified an ongoing campaign by a suspected financially-motivated threat actor we track as UNC6148, targeting fully patched end-of-life SonicWall Secure Mobile Access (SMA) 100 series appliances. GTIG assesses with high confidence that UNC6148 is leveraging credentials and one-time password (OTP) seeds stolen during previous intrusions, allowing them to regain access ...
- Phish and Chips: China-Aligned Espionage Actors Ramp Up Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Targeting
July 16, 2025
Analyst note: Proofpoint uses the UNK_ designator to define clusters of activity that are still developing and have not been observed for long enough to receive a numerical TA designation. China-aligned threat actors have routinely targeted the semiconductor industry for many years. This activity likely aligns with China’s internal strategic economic priorities, which have increasingly emphasized ...
- Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network
July 16, 2025
Between 14 and 17 July, a joint international operation, known as Eastwood and coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, targeted the cybercrime network NoName057(16). Law enforcement and judicial authorities from Czechia, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States took simultaneous actions against offenders and infrastructure belonging to the pro-Russian ...