Chinese AI Tool Artex Used to Hack Seven South Korean Banks, 68,000 Records Stolen

Hackers targeting major South Korean financial institutions deployed a Chinese-developed artificial intelligence tool called Artex to carry out a sophisticated cyberattack that compromised at least seven banks and financial firms, Seoul investigators revealed. The breach resulted in the theft of personal data belonging to 68,000 individuals.

What Artex is and how it was used

Artex is an offensive AI agent developed by Chinese engineer Li Puhua. Investigators found traces of the tool embedded in the attacked systems. The stolen data included employee and customer records such as annual income information and credit card limits — sensitive financial intelligence that could be used for fraud or targeted phishing attacks.

Growing use of AI in cyberattacks

The case highlights the expanding use of AI-powered tools in state-linked or commercially motivated cyberattacks on financial infrastructure. South Korean authorities have not yet attributed the attack to the Chinese government, but noted the tool's origin. Artex is designed to connect to other AI systems and automate complex attack sequences, making it significantly more difficult to detect and block compared with traditional intrusion tools. Investigations are ongoing.