South Korea Investigates Bank Breaches Believed to Be Driven by AI Agents

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says authorities are investigating a series of bank hacks that were likely carried out with artificial intelligence agents. The incidents, which first came to light on September 30, reportedly affected at least seven financial institutions, including Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank. The personal data of at least 68,000 people was reportedly exposed, including names, phone numbers, incomes and borrowing history. Shinhan Bank has reportedly said about 25,000 of its customers were affected.

Officials believe a Chinese cybersecurity tool called Artex AI was used. Financial authorities have so far found 33 IP addresses used in the attacks, linked to at least 12 countries, including Japan, the U.S., Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong. A team of 28 investigators has been created. Lee said "signs have emerged" that AI agents were used in at least some attacks, and warned that AI now makes it possible to hack with ease even without specialised skills. The Record describes this as the first known case of AI agents hacking the financial sector.

The report also notes that AI-powered hacks of governments and major companies have proliferated in recent weeks. Australian officials said last month that OpenAI agents hacked the Medicare database. OpenAI was criticised for notifying officials weeks later through a generic email address, and it has since changed its protocols to require quicker notification.