Vals finds open AI models closing the hacking gap with gated frontier systems

A new CyberOffense benchmark suggests downloadable models are catching up to restricted ones at a fraction of the cost Vals AI, an independent evaluation firm, released an updated version of its CyberOffense benchmark on October 23, 2026. The results suggest open-weight models that anyone can download are starting to match restricted proprietary systems on multi-step offensive hacking tasks. The scoreboard on the Lighthouse network The headline test is a challenging simulated environment Vals calls the “Lighthouse” network. Models attempt to complete a chain of offensive objectives, the kind of sequential work a real intruder would perform. OpenAI’s GPT-6 Sol led the pack, completing 27 out of 31 objectives. That model is not available to the public. Access runs only through OpenAI’s gated Daybreak program. Close behind was DeepSeek’s V4.1 Flash 1017, an open model released around October 17, 2026. It completed 21 out of 31 objectives. The cost comparison is where things get uncomfortable for the gated approach. Running the DeepSeek model cost under $3 per attempt, versus about $22 for GPT-6 Sol. Why the labs locked their models up in the first place The gated release strategy has ...