New research from Forescout’s Vedere Labs has demonstrated how artificial intelligence could begin to lower the barriers to developing sophisticated cyberattacks against industrial systems.

The research set out to answer a potentially important question for operational technology (OT) security: can AI successfully adapt a remote code execution (RCE) exploit developed for one programmable logic controller (PLC) so that it works against another?

Researchers tested this by using AI to help port an existing RCE exploit between two WAGO PLC models. The experiment was ultimately successful, demonstrating that AI can assist with highly specialised exploit development in embedded environments.

However, the results also showed that AI is not yet capable of doing this independently.

AI still needed significant human help

Throughout the experiment, researchers had to guide the AI through false leads, incorrect assumptions and technical dead ends.

Developing the final exploit took eight hours and 32 minutes and consumed $535.74 in API tokens, highlighting the cost and human involvement still required.

Once reliable code execution had been achieved, however, the process accelerated considerably. AI was able to produce multiple working network payloads within minutes.

This difference is important. While AI may still struggle with the most complex stages of exploit development, it could rapidly automate subsequent stages once the initial technical barriers have been overcome.

The experiment also demonstrated the risks of allowing AI to operate against physical technology. When researchers attempted to develop a command-and-control implant, the PLC was permanently bricked.

What happens as AI improves?

The findings raise wider questions about the future security of industrial and critical infrastructure.

PLC exploitation requires specialist knowledge of hardware, firmware, architectures and industrial protocols, creating a relatively high technical barrier for attackers. AI could gradually begin to reduce that barrier.

As models become more capable, the time, expertise and cost required to adapt an existing exploit across families of related industrial devices could fall significantly.

That could also change how organisations assess vulnerabilities. A weakness considered difficult or expensive to exploit today may become considerably more accessible as AI-assisted offensive capabilities improve.

For critical infrastructure operators, the bigger question is therefore not whether AI can autonomously develop sophisticated PLC attacks today. Forescout’s experiment shows that it cannot yet do so reliably.

Instead, organisations need to consider what happens when increasingly autonomous exploit development meets large numbers of exposed industrial devices and the technical barriers protecting them begin to disappear.

Read the full Forescout Vedere Labs research here. 

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The Forescout 2026 H1 Threat Review found that more than 37,000 vulnerabilities were published during the first six months of the year, representing a 51% increase year on year. More than half were classified as high or critical severity, while ransomware attack claims rose by 25% to 4,544 incidents, averaging 25 attacks every day.

The report, published by Forescout Research – Vedere Labs, analysed more than 37,000 vulnerabilities, over 1,000 tracked threat actors and thousands of cyberattacks observed between January and June 2026. Researchers found that rapid advances in AI, alongside growing geopolitical tensions, are increasing the pressure on security teams already struggling to prioritise risk.

Among the report‘s key findings, researchers discovered that nearly half of all additions to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalogue related to vulnerabilities published before 2026, reinforcing the continued risk posed by older, unpatched flaws. The number of active ransomware groups also increased to 103, while China, Russia and Iran collectively accounted for almost a third of tracked threat actors with significant activity during the reporting period.

The research also highlights the growing use of AI by threat actors to accelerate attacks, alongside increasingly sophisticated software supply chain compromises. At the same time, attackers continue to focus on network infrastructure, operational technology, IoT and IoMT devices, many of which receive less security oversight than traditional endpoints.

“AI is dramatically increasing the speed and scale of cyberattacks,” said Daniel dos Santos, VP of Research at Forescout.

“In observing attack patterns and threat actor activity, we can see that AI is helping threat actors discover and exploit vulnerabilities faster than security teams can realistically remediate them. At the same time, geopolitical conflicts are fuelling waves of opportunistic and state-aligned cyber activity, with organisations in critical infrastructure sectors increasingly at risk.”

He added that organisations need a better understanding of the assets connected to their networks so they can prioritise risk and contain threats before attackers can move laterally into critical systems.

The report also examines the evolution of Iranian cyber operations, noting that the distinction between state-sponsored actors, hacktivist groups and cybercriminal organisations is becoming increasingly blurred. Researchers found these groups are using a mix of espionage campaigns, ransomware and attacks targeting critical infrastructure and operational technology.

Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout, said organisations must extend their focus beyond traditional endpoints to address unmanaged assets and connected devices.

“As attack surfaces continue to expand, security teams can no longer focus exclusively on traditional endpoints,” he said.

“Many organisations still have significant blind spots across unmanaged assets and IoT, OT, and IoMT devices. Threat actors understand this and are increasingly exploiting those gaps.”

The report recommends that organisations should continuously identify vulnerable assets, strengthen network segmentation, prioritise the highest-risk systems and accelerate response capabilities to reduce exposure across increasingly complex environments.

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The Chaya_006 Edge Campaign Forescout’s Vedere Labs just dropped a threat briefing on a campaign they’re tracking as Chaya_006, and it’s a textbook example of how fast threat actors move...

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