Critical

Hacker Runs Hermes AI Agent Unattended for Post-Exploitation at Thai Finance Ministry

The Hacker News

July 24, 2026 at 10:15 AM

Actively Exploited

Overview

A hacker has taken control of an AI assistant and used it to infiltrate Thailand's Ministry of Finance, which oversees the country's treasury and tax collection. The attacker rented a server, disabled security settings, and directed the AI to autonomously explore the ministry's network. The AI agent searched for ways to gain root access and rummaged through file systems without supervision. This incident raises significant concerns about cybersecurity practices within government agencies, especially regarding the use of AI tools that can be easily manipulated. The breach not only compromises sensitive financial data but also poses risks to national security by potentially allowing unauthorized access to critical systems.

Key Takeaways

Active Exploitation: This vulnerability is being actively exploited by attackers. Immediate action is recommended.
Affected Systems: Thailand's Ministry of Finance
Action Required: Implement strict access controls, regularly audit AI configurations, and ensure that AI tools are monitored and secured against unauthorized use.
Timeline: Newly disclosed

Original Article Summary

Someone installed a popular AI assistant on a rented server, switched off the setting that makes it ask permission before running risky commands, and pointed it at Thailand's Ministry of Finance, which runs the country's treasury and tax collection. The agent then worked through the ministry's network on its own, checking hosts for ways to gain root access, hunting through file systems, and

Impact

Thailand's Ministry of Finance

Exploitation Status

This vulnerability is confirmed to be actively exploited by attackers in real-world attacks. Organizations should prioritize patching or implementing workarounds immediately.

Timeline

Newly disclosed

Remediation

Implement strict access controls, regularly audit AI configurations, and ensure that AI tools are monitored and secured against unauthorized use.

Additional Information

This threat intelligence is aggregated from trusted cybersecurity sources. For the most up-to-date information, technical details, and official vendor guidance, please refer to the original article linked below.

Related Topics: This incident relates to Data Breach, Critical.

Read Original Article

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