AI is getting closer to being able to exploit OT, and that's very bad news
for critical infrastructure

Date:
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:05:00 +0000

Description:
The situation is not disastrous just yet, but it's definitely time to start paying attention, Forescout hints.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Forescout researchers showed AI can port RCE exploits to PLCs, achieving DoS and shellcode execution Effort required heavy researcher input and $500+ in API usage, making attacks impractical for criminals Nationstate actors remain a concern, as seen in Sandworms 2025 attack on Polands power grid If you are worried cybercriminals will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate the discovery and exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities in Operational Technology (OT) such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) you can sleep peacefully, at least
for a little longer.

Recently, security researchers from Forescout set off on a simple mission -
to understand if crooks can use AI to target the ever-increasing population
of exposed industrial devices. The short answer is yes, but its not yet worth the trouble. In their mission, they launched an experiment - to port a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability from one PLC to another. These devices
were built on closed-source software and thus were not that easy to manipulate, yet the experiment was a success. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Yes, but... Not only did they manage to trigger a Denial of Service (DoS) state that crashed the device but ended up with a working RCE capable of executing attacker-supplied ARM shellcode.

It is indeed a worrying development, but one that comes with a huge but: You may like Hackers are using evolved capabilities in AI-generated malware to
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It required significant researcher input. The final RCE development stage consumed more than $500 in API usage. An attempt to extend the exploit beyond the initial RCE ultimately bricked the PLC, the researchers said in the report.

These limitations taught us valuable lessons about AI-assisted exploitation
in OT. It can be done, but its not as easy as it sounds. For now, the difficulty, cost, and specialist expertise required are likely to make this kind of attack less attractive than easier alternatives. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
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In other words, cybercriminals still have easier avenues to explore, and as long as that is the case, OT is relatively safe. What the report, unfortunately, does not discuss, is nation-state attackers with significant resources. For such attackers, industrial devices are a prime target, and spending $500+ in API usage is a drop in a bucket. Weve already seen it back in 2025 when Sandworm struck Polands electricity suppliers . The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/ai-is-getting-closer-to-being-able-to-e xploit-ot-and-thats-very-bad-news-for-critical-infrastructure


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