(Photo courtesy by Anadolu)
SEOUL – An unidentified hacker believed to be a Chinese speaker used artificial intelligence-powered tools to breach several South Korean financial institutions and steal data, according to US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
The attacks took place from late September to early October and targeted banking systems, Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday, citing a CrowdStrike report.
The attacker allegedly used ARTEX, a Chinese-developed open-source penetration-testing tool, together with large language models to carry out the intrusions.
Among the targets were a bank’s loan inquiry service and another lender’s employee mobile-support platform.
CrowdStrike said it identified two servers linked to the attacks, including one located in Hong Kong.
The cybersecurity firm said the attacker appeared to be financially motivated, citing searches for online marketplaces selling stolen South Korean data.
However, the identity of the hacker, the full extent of the breaches and the amount of information taken have yet to be confirmed.
The findings come amid recent reports of data breaches involving major South Korean banks, including Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank.
The incidents have prompted investigations by financial regulators and law enforcement authorities.
