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 the US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
The attacks occurred between late September and early October, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday, citing a CrowdStrike report.
The attacker used ARTEX, a Chinese-developed open-source penetration-testing tool, alongside large language models to compromise banking systems.
Targets included a bank's loan inquiry service and another lender's employee mobile-support platform.
CrowdStrike identified two servers linked to the attacks, including one in Hong Kong.
The firm said the hacker appeared financially motivated, citing searches for marketplaces selling stolen South Korean data.
However, the attacker's identity, the extent of the breaches and the volume of stolen information remain unconfirmed.
The findings follow recent reported data breaches involving Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank, which prompted investigations by financial regulators and law enforcement authorities.
