Japanese companies hit by attacks in succession, GMO confirms attackers used AI penetration testing tool ARTEX

Japanese cybersecurity firm GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae announced investigation results on October 19, confirming that attackers used the AI autonomous penetration testing tool ARTEX to launch attacks on Japanese companies. The investigation found that the attack infrastructure targeted about 20 Japanese companies, of which 9 belonged to the same industry; it also found 6 attack hosts using AI technology, which likewise targeted almost exclusively Japanese companies and each targeted different industries such as digital gifts and retail, insurance and finance, and e-commerce and media logistics. CrowdStrike previously disclosed on October 7 that attacks suffered by South Korean financial institutions from late September to early October also involved ARTEX, and noted that the tool was developed in China and that the attackers may have used Chinese. GMO assesses that the attackers may select targets by country and industry, has confirmed that 8 Japanese companies announced data breaches between September and October, and has provided the relevant investigation information to law enforcement agencies.