{"schema_version":"0.10.0","id":"LR-2026-0816","record_version":1,"title":"CyberStrikeAI LLM-driven agent used in live intrusion against Windows domains","verification":{"human_verified":false,"method":"automated_gate","auto_verified":true,"score":48.5,"score_breakdown":{"source_authority":12.1,"independent_corroboration":7.0,"implicated_party_confirmed":0.0,"citation_integrity":14.0,"specificity":0.0,"completeness":8.0,"unhedged_language":5.0},"checks":{"schema_valid":true,"every_field_cited":true,"quotes_verbatim":true,"source_fetched":true,"distinct_incident":true,"dates_plausible":true,"sources_agree":true,"source_describes_incident":true,"severe_backed_by_source":true,"record_integrity":true,"eligible":true,"about_this_case":true},"gate_version":"gate-2026-10-18.7","cross_check_model":null,"cross_check_agreement":null,"duplicate_of":null,"verified_by":null,"verified_at":"2026-11-03","extraction_run_id":null,"evidence_level":{"level":"preliminary","reason":"1 report: Cyber Security News · subject to change","original_document":null,"reports_total":1,"reports_independent":1,"reports_derivative":0,"developing":true,"disputed":false,"rules_version":"evidence-2026-10-29.1","computed_at":"2026-11-03","history":[{"date":"2026-11-03","from_level":null,"to_level":"preliminary","reason":"1 report: Cyber Security News · subject to change"}]},"sources_hash":"6f1c23d6abaea4c9040a9c4a37fa0662bf42a9849fd18e20f8644e45d2552d8b"},"system":{"model_name":null,"model_version":null,"developer":"unknown","harness":"CyberStrikeAI","tools_granted":["shell","powershell","ldap","smb","wmi","credential_dumping"],"permissions_scope":null,"autonomy_level":"supervised-auto","guardrails_present":[],"deployment_context":"production","tier":null,"lifecycle_stage":null,"integration_type":"agentic_with_tools","intended_use":"penetration testing","safeguard_state":null,"production_intended":null},"event":{"date_occurred":null,"date_disclosed":"2026-11-02","incident_class":"security_compromise","failure_class":"credential_misuse","agent_involved":true,"secondary_failure_classes":["data_exfiltration"],"trigger":"human_misuse","duration":"P3D","detection_method":"third_party","summary":"An operator gained access to a compromised SQL Server, collected host details, dropped tools and scanned the network, then went quiet for about two weeks. On return, the CyberStrikeAI agent, driven by a language model on the attacker's control server, set up persistence via a scheduled task named SystemUpdate within two minutes and mapped the domain with PowerShell and LDAP over five hours, collecting data for Kerberoasting and AS-REP Roasting. After a pause of a few days, a final phase under an hour moved laterally through SMB and WMI, dumped credentials from many machines, exported database content, and after compromising the built-in domain administrator ran DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques with a renamed Mimikatz. Analysts at Securelist identified the campaign during routine threat monitoring; education organizations in Africa and Latin America were confirmed victims.","tags":["agentic-ai","ai-assisted-hacking","credential-theft","data-exfiltration","cyber-intrusion","education"],"date_detected":null,"near_miss":null,"root_cause":"adversarial_input","root_cause_detail":null,"failure_class_detail":"The agent harvested and reused credentials, including domain administrator credentials, to run DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques.","responsible_party":"third_party","adversarial_actor":"external_attacker","input_provenance":null,"time_to_contain":null,"operations_paused":null,"remediation":"Rotating the krbtgt account twice after any domain admin compromise cancels forged Golden Tickets.","precursor_events":"earlier reports showed how attackers targeted Fortinet FortiGate devices with the same framework"},"impact":{"direct_loss_usd":null,"remediation_hours":null,"records_exposed":null,"third_parties_affected_count":null,"severity":"major","severity_because":"A live production compromise of multiple organizations' Windows domains, with domain administrator takeover and credential dumping, meets the major rung.","harm_class":["third_party_security","operational","privacy"],"affected_description":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America","protected_class_involved":null,"data_categories_exposed":["credentials"],"loss_range_usd":null,"reversibility":null,"downstream_exposure_count":null},"evidence":{"sources":[{"url":"https://cybersecuritynews.com/hackers-use-cyberstrikeai-agents-2/","publisher":"Cyber Security News","date":"2026-11-02","type":"press","title":"Hackers Use CyberStrikeAI Agents to Automate Windows Domain Takeovers and Credential Theft","archived_url":null,"attachment":"first_report","independence":"independent"}],"per_field_confidence":{"system.developer":"D","system.harness":"C","system.tools_granted":"C","system.autonomy_level":"C","system.deployment_context":"C","system.integration_type":"C","system.intended_use":"C","event.date_disclosed":"D","event.failure_class":"C","event.secondary_failure_classes":"C","event.trigger":"C","event.duration":"C","event.detection_method":"C","event.summary":"C","event.tags":"C","event.root_cause":"C","event.responsible_party":"C","event.adversarial_actor":"C","event.remediation":"C","event.precursor_events":"C","event.incident_class":"C","event.agent_involved":"C","event.failure_class_detail":"C","impact.severity":"C","impact.harm_class":"C","impact.affected_description":"C","impact.data_categories_exposed":"C","impact.severity_because":"C","context.industry":"C","context.country":"D","context.denominator_available":"D"},"field_citations":{"system.harness":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"CyberStrikeAI is an open-source, Go-based platform built for penetration testing."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"When they came back, the CyberStrikeAI agent took over."}],"system.tools_granted":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Over the next five hours it mapped the domain using PowerShell and LDAP queries."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"The agent moved sideways through SMB and WMI, dumped credentials from many machines, and exported database content."}],"system.autonomy_level":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The human operator sets a broad goal, and the AI model on the control server picks the tools, writes the commands, and reads the results."}],"system.deployment_context":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"This new campaign shows the tool being used for something bigger: moving from a single weak server to full control of a network."}],"system.integration_type":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The human operator sets a broad goal, and the AI model on the control server picks the tools, writes the commands, and reads the results."}],"system.intended_use":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"CyberStrikeAI is an open-source, Go-based platform built for penetration testing."}],"event.failure_class":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"After it compromised the built-in domain administrator, it ran DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques with a renamed Mimikatz tool."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"It pulled passwords from registry files and from the LSASS process using the comsvcs.dll MiniDump function."}],"event.secondary_failure_classes":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The agent moved sideways through SMB and WMI, dumped credentials from many machines, and exported database content."}],"event.trigger":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The human operator sets a broad goal, and the AI model on the control server picks the tools, writes the commands, and reads the results."}],"event.duration":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The whole job, from agent install to domain admin, took only three to four days."}],"event.detection_method":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Analysts at Securelist identified the campaign during routine threat monitoring."}],"event.summary":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The operator got into a compromised SQL Server, collected basic host details, dropped tools, and scanned the network."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"That took almost a day, and then the attackers went quiet for about two weeks."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"When they came back, the CyberStrikeAI agent took over."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"Within two minutes it set up persistence through a scheduled task named SystemUpdate and finished local checks."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"Over the next five hours it mapped the domain using PowerShell and LDAP queries."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"It also collected data needed for Kerberoasting and AS-REP Roasting, two methods for cracking account passwords."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"After a short pause of a few days, the final phase ran in under an hour."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"The agent moved sideways through SMB and WMI, dumped credentials from many machines, and exported database content."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"After it compromised the built-in domain administrator, it ran DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques with a renamed Mimikatz tool."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"Analysts at Securelist identified the campaign during routine threat monitoring."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America were among the confirmed victims."}],"event.tags":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The human operator sets a broad goal, and the AI model on the control server picks the tools, writes the commands, and reads the results."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"They described it as one of the first public cases of a language model being used inside a live intrusion."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"It pulled passwords from registry files and from the LSASS process using the comsvcs.dll MiniDump function."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"The agent moved sideways through SMB and WMI, dumped credentials from many machines, and exported database content."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America were among the confirmed victims."}],"event.root_cause":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The operator got into a compromised SQL Server, collected basic host details, dropped tools, and scanned the network."}],"event.responsible_party":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Criminals have already turned it toward real targets, and earlier reports showed how attackers targeted Fortinet FortiGate devices with the same framework."}],"event.adversarial_actor":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Hackers are now using an AI-driven command framework called CyberStrikeAI to break into Windows networks and take over entire domains."}],"event.remediation":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Rotating the krbtgt account twice after any domain admin compromise cancels forged Golden Tickets."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"They should patch and lock down exposed SQL Servers and turn on LAPS."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"They should also limit replication rights and keep logs for process launches, PowerShell activity, and logons."}],"event.precursor_events":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Criminals have already turned it toward real targets, and earlier reports showed how attackers targeted Fortinet FortiGate devices with the same framework."}],"event.incident_class":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Hackers are now using an AI-driven command framework called CyberStrikeAI to break into Windows networks and take over entire domains."}],"event.agent_involved":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The human operator sets a broad goal, and the AI model on the control server picks the tools, writes the commands, and reads the results."}],"event.failure_class_detail":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"After it compromised the built-in domain administrator, it ran DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques with a renamed Mimikatz tool."}],"impact.severity":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America were among the confirmed victims."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"The whole job, from agent install to domain admin, took only three to four days."}],"impact.harm_class":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"The agent moved sideways through SMB and WMI, dumped credentials from many machines, and exported database content."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"After it compromised the built-in domain administrator, it ran DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques with a renamed Mimikatz tool."}],"impact.affected_description":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America were among the confirmed victims."}],"impact.data_categories_exposed":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"It pulled passwords from registry files and from the LSASS process using the comsvcs.dll MiniDump function."}],"impact.severity_because":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America were among the confirmed victims."},{"source_index":0,"quote":"After it compromised the built-in domain administrator, it ran DCSync and Golden Ticket techniques with a renamed Mimikatz tool."}],"context.industry":[{"source_index":0,"quote":"Education organizations in Africa and Latin America were among the confirmed victims."}]},"notes_on_gaps":"The document does not name the underlying language model, its developer, version, or the number of victim organizations. No monetary loss, record count, or detection date is stated; the publication date is used as date_disclosed. The country is left unknown because victims are described only at regional level (Africa, Latin America). The operator's location is only inferred by Securelist from Chinese comments, dnslog.cn use and UTC+8 working hours, and is not stated as fact. The '44 AI agents' figure refers to other reports, not this campaign, so it is not used as a count. Root cause is coded adversarial_input because the entry point was a compromised SQL Server used by an external attacker; the document does not describe a failed control. Autonomy is coded supervised-auto because the human sets the goal while the model selects tools and commands. The agent's tool list is inferred from described actions (PowerShell, LDAP, SMB, WMI, credential dumping). Extractor proposed values without quotes; dropped: ['context.country', 'context.denominator_available', 'event.date_disclosed', 'system.developer']. Single secondary source; corroborate before upgrading any field to B. [2026-11-03: evidence level set: Preliminary (1 report: Cyber Security News · subject to change)]"},"context":{"industry":"Educational Services","org_size_band":null,"country":"unknown","denominator_available":false,"denominator":null,"related_incident_ids":[],"systemic_exposure":null,"shared_model_id":null,"upstream_incident_id":null,"incident_evidence":null,"regulatory":null,"coverage":null}}