Automated Subversion and Attempted Takeover of AI Pentesting Harnesses

Starting around October 20, 2026, unprotected Cairn AI pentesting harnesses have been targeted by automated campaigns from unknown actors. These attackers insert malicious tasks to manipulate AI agents, leading to host system compromise through profiling, credential theft including AI model API keys, Poseidon malware deployment, and unauthorized SSH key installation. Two distinct threat clusters, AIA0009 and AIA0010, conduct synchronized attacks focusing on persistence/malware deployment and exploration/credential extraction respectively. The campaigns use AI-driven automation to attack AI operations, including container escape attempts and reconnaissance. Poseidon RAT is deployed with Bunny.net CDN-based command and control infrastructure.

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