Censys Data Shows AI Software Exposure Surges 63% in Nine Months

Censys data reveals that AI-related software exposed to the public internet grew by 63 percent in just nine months. The internet-scanning company recorded an increase from 164,088 IP addresses in October 2025 to 267,915 in July 2026. This rapid expansion contrasts sharply with the slow movement observed in other sectors of the internet attack surface during the same period.

The growth spans 44 distinct products, with workflow automation platform n8n representing a significant portion of the exposure. Censys identified 113,926 n8n hosts, noting that 76.1 percent of those reporting a version run a release affected by at least one vulnerability scored 9.0 or higher. These servers often store credentials for the various services their workflows connect to, creating a high-value target for attackers.

Speed of Exposure and Legacy Stagnation

OpenClaw, a self-hosted AI agent, demonstrates how quickly new software can become widely exposed. Its first release featuring a control panel shipped on January 5, 2026. Censys detected two exposed panels just six days later. By April 7, 2026, the number of exposed OpenClaw panels had surged to 85,478, highlighting the rapid deployment and potential misconfiguration risks of emerging AI tools.

In contrast, older business products show little change in their exposure profiles. Censys tracked Telerik Report Server, Jenkins, Cleo MFT, and Microsoft SharePoint Server from January 2024 to May 2026. For all four products, the share of the oldest version group changed by about one percentage point or less. Censys suggests these leftovers are likely abandoned instances that are unlikely to be upgraded, remaining static on the internet.

Industrial Control Systems and Maintenance Patterns

Exposed industrial control system (ICS) services rose by only about 4 percent over two and a half years, from approximately 129,000 hosts in 2024 to 134,000 in early 2026. Roughly 70 percent of these ICS hosts sit on consumer and mobile networks, often behind cellular modems at remote sites. On these networks, registration records point to the carrier rather than the operator, making owners difficult to notify.

Verizon’s cellular network alone hosts 10 percent of exposed ICS hosts and 27.5 percent of exposed human-machine interfaces. More than 80 percent of ICS hosts also run ordinary IT services such as HTTP or SSH. This means an attacker may not need to understand the industrial protocol to gain access, as standard IT vulnerabilities can serve as entry points into critical infrastructure environments.

What should you do?

Organizations should monitor their internet-facing assets for rapid changes in exposure, particularly for new AI and automation tools. Security teams need to verify that workflow platforms like n8n are running patched versions, given the high prevalence of critical vulnerabilities. Additionally, companies using cellular connections for remote sites should ensure that ICS devices are not directly accessible from the public internet.

What to do and how to stay safe: Censys

• Inventory all internet-facing AI and automation tools to identify unpatched versions with high-severity vulnerabilities.
• Review network configurations for remote sites using cellular modems to ensure industrial control systems are isolated from public access.
• Monitor for new software releases that may be deployed without proper security controls, such as exposed control panels.
• Verify that legacy business products are not running abandoned instances that remain connected to the internet.

Step-by-step guide: Social Engineering Warning Signs and How to Respond

General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.

Frequently asked questions

How much did AI-related software exposure grow according to Censys?

Censys found that AI-related software exposed to the public internet grew by 63 percent, from 164,088 IP addresses in October 2025 to 267,915 in July 2026.

Which product accounts for the largest number of exposed AI hosts?

The workflow automation platform n8n accounts for 113,926 hosts, with 76.1 percent running versions affected by critical vulnerabilities.

Where are most exposed industrial control systems located?

Roughly 70 percent of exposed ICS hosts sit on consumer and mobile networks, often behind cellular modems at remote sites, making owners hard to identify.