---
title: "Attackers built a ‘Skynet’ AI agent that hijacks exposed models to run cyberattacks"
type: signal
url: https://frontiernewswire.com/s/attackers-built-a-skynet-ai-agent-that-hijacks-exposed-models-to-run-2833f722
published: 2026-10-28T02:10:33.000Z
byline: "Source: CSO Online"
---

# Attackers built a ‘Skynet’ AI agent that hijacks exposed models to run cyberattacks

Source: CSO Online · Published 2026-10-28 · Canonical: https://frontiernewswire.com/s/attackers-built-a-skynet-ai-agent-that-hijacks-exposed-models-to-run-2833f722

Skynet is no longer a fictional adversary. Attackers have built an offensive agent that exploits unprotected AI models on the web with a ‘Skynet’ directive that allows them to run unattended for up to 100,000 steps. In this mode, a reference to the humanity-destroying artificial neural network-based superintelligence system in the Terminator film franchise, the agent can kick off tools, scan for and infect targets, deploy data miners, steal credentials , reinfect hosts, and mine cryptocurrency, all without waiting for human approval. The activity is a form of LLMjacking, in which attackers essentially commandeer a victim’s AI model for their own purposes. The victims themselves then foot the bill. The method was discovered by the Symantec Threat Hunter Team, who were able to capture it in a honeypot and get a rare look at the anatomy of an attack. “The attackers are not just using AI; they are using your AI,” noted Frank Dickson of Dickson Research. The owners pay for every step, and t

## Sources

- [Read the original at CSO Online](https://www.csoonline.com/article/4241421/attackers-built-a-skynet-ai-agent-that-hijacks-exposed-models-to-run-cyberattacks.html)

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