- AI-powered penetration testing tool “Villager” reached nearly 11,000 downloads on PyPI.
- Villager is developed by China-based company Cyberspike and was first uploaded in July 2025.
- Researchers warn that Villager may be misused by cybercriminals, much like previous legitimate security tools.
- The tool automates offensive Cybersecurity tasks and can incorporate established Hacking utilities.
- Villager’s design enables automation and can make cyberattacks easier to conduct, even for less-skilled users.
A new Artificial Intelligence-based tool called Villager, created by China-based firm Cyberspike, has become available on the Python Package Index (PyPI) and has seen close to 11,000 downloads since its launch in July 2025. The tool is marketed as an aid for penetration testing but has raised concerns in the cybersecurity community about its potential misuse by cybercriminals.
Villager, uploaded by user “stupidfish001,” allows users to automate penetration testing and red teaming workflows. Researchers Dan Regalado and Amanda Rousseau from Straiker stated in a recent report that Villager’s public availability and automation features may allow it to follow the pattern of other legitimate security tools that have been repurposed for harmful activities. Another AI-assisted tool, HexStrike AI, has also drawn attention for similar risks.
The adoption of generative AI for cybersecurity means attackers can conduct technical and social engineering operations faster and with less effort. Check Point researchers noted, “Exploitation can be parallelized at scale, with agents scanning thousands of IPs simultaneously. Decision-making becomes adaptive; failed exploit attempts can be automatically retried with variations until successful, increasing the overall exploitation yield.” Villager’s off-the-shelf availability as a Python package makes integration with existing attack workflows easier, presenting a “concerning evolution in AI-driven attack tooling,” according to Straiker.
Cyberspike first appeared in late 2023, and its domain registration links it to Changchun Anshanyuan Technology Co., Ltd., an AI company based in China, though details about its operations remain limited. Internet Archive snapshots show that Villager is promoted as a network attack simulation tool to help organizations evaluate security. However, installed versions of Villager include plugins typical of remote access tools (RATs), such as AsyncRAT and Mimikatz, allowing for functions like keystroke logging and remote desktop access.
Villager operates as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) client and supports integration with Kali Linux, LangChain, and DeepSeek AI models. It uses more than 4,200 AI system prompts to automate penetration testing, perform network scanning, and destroy evidence after use by terminating temporary containers. Its task-based AI architecture lets less-skilled users run complex attacks, changing how such operations are conducted.
The tool uses a FastAPI command interface and a Python-based agent platform to manage tasks and outputs. Its temporary infrastructure and randomization techniques make detection and analysis challenging for defenders, according to the researchers.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
Previous Articles:
- BNB Overtakes UBS in Market Cap, Targets New All-Time Highs
- OKX Launches Crypto Platform for Australian SMSF Retirement Funds
- Monero Rallies 7% Despite 18-Block Reorg, 51% Attack Fears
- Hyperliquid Picks Native Markets to Launch USDH, Beating Paxos
- Crypto Is ‘Capitalism 2.0’, Not Just Web 3.0, Says Helius CEO
