Chinese hacker targets South Korean banks with ARTEX AI and Claude agents

A Chinese-speaking hacker exploited the ARTEX AI penetration testing suite and Claude agents to breach multiple South Korean banks, including Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, and Hana Bank. The attacks exposed personal data, credit card information, and caused system outages, prompting an emergency government response. Security firm CrowdStrike confirmed the use of ARTEX AI, an open-source tool developed in China, and identified the attacker’s infrastructure through exposed session histories and configuration files. The attacker, potentially a 26-year-old Chinese individual, had no clear monetization plan but sought to sell data through Telegram groups. Following the attacks, the ARTEX developer closed the project, though derivatives remain available.