'Not a theoretical risk,' feds warn as attackers use AI-made code to hack critical infrastructure controllers

The Register notes that five U.S. federal agencies issued a joint alert on Wednesday calling the use of AI‑generated exploitation scripts against internet‑exposed Siemens S7 Series programmable logic controllers an active threat. Attackers are leveraging open‑source Snap7 libraries together with AI coding assistants to craft custom tools that can read and write PLC memory, configuration data, and ladder‑logic programs. While the advisory does not name a specific group, Iranian cyber operatives are suspected of recent attacks that disrupted more than thirty community water systems across at least twelve states, including a late‑July incident in Minnesota. The agencies urge critical‑infrastructure owners to immediately inventory their Siemens PLCs, apply security patches, remove internet exposure, and monitor for anomalous S7comm traffic as a way to counter the AI‑enhanced threat.

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