What Happened
Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 says a Chinese-speaking threat actor used DeepSeek through the open-source Hermes Agent framework to launch attacks autonomously. After an initial Telegram instruction, the agent found internet-facing systems and selected public exploits. The researchers recovered no further operator input in the session. The operator, tracked through the aliases knaithe and KnYuan,
Why It Matters
Unit 42 reported that a Chinese-speaking threat actor, tracked as knaithe/KnYuan, used DeepSeek through the open-source Hermes Agent framework to run autonomous attack workflows via Telegram. The reported behavior included target enumeration, exploit selection, and repeated attacks against hundreds of internet-exposed systems, with researchers finding no further operator input after the initial command.[1][2] From a RealGround perspective, this is a clear case of AI agent abuse, and it underscores the need to audit agent decision logic, constrain autonomous tool use, and red-team agents for misuse and escalation paths.
RealGround Analysis
This signal maps to AI agent abuse. Organizations using AI agents, LLM APIs, SaaS integrations, or sensitive data workflows should review whether this class of issue could create unauthorized tool execution, data leakage, weak approval gates, or unmanaged supply-chain exposure.
Recommended Actions
- Restrict AI agent tool permissions and production write paths.
- Review sensitive data access across prompts, logs, embeddings, memory, and SaaS integrations.
- Add human approval workflows for high-impact or state-changing actions.
- Run prompt injection and indirect prompt injection tests against affected workflows.
- Document the owner, control gap, and remediation deadline for this risk class.
Source
https://thehackernews.com/2026/07/chinese-hacker-commands-deepseek-via.html