Soon after arriving on Arrakis, Paul survives an assasination attempt. What method was used?

Soon after arriving on Arrakis, Paul survives an assassination attempt using a hunter-seeker. The device is a tiny, remotely controlled weapon designed to pursue and kill a target.

In Frank Herbert's Dune, the hunter-seeker enters Paul's room and moves toward him when he is distracted. Paul recognizes the danger and uses his training, reflexes, and awareness to evade it. He eventually catches and destroys the device before it can strike him. Shadout Mapes arrives during the incident, and the attack helps reveal that danger exists inside the Atreides residence.

The attempt is more than a simple attack: it also increases suspicion among the Atreides and supports the Harkonnens' broader campaign of deception. The assassin has been concealed in the palace, showing how vulnerable the newly arrived ruling household is on Arrakis.

Readers sometimes confuse this incident with Duke Leto's later attempt to kill Baron Harkonnen using poison gas released from a tooth. That is a separate event connected to Dr. Wellington Yueh's betrayal.