Autonomous AI Agent Discovers Four Critical Vulnerabilities in EPICS Particle Accelerator Control Software

An autonomous AI agent called Cipher discovered four previously unknown security flaws in EPICS Base, the open-source control system used in particle accelerators and fusion reactors worldwide, in under four hours. The vulnerabilities, disclosed on October 27, 2026 via a CISA advisory, pose significant risks to approximately 90 major scientific facilities globally, including the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, ITER's fusion reactor, and LIGO gravitational wave observatories.