Tether

South Korean Hacker Uses Generative AI Framework ARTEX to Breach 90 Organizations and Steal 8.2 Million Records

Seoul Metropolitan Police arrested a 32-year-old man identified only as A for conducting a series of intrusions against approximately 90 South Korean companies and institutions between September 2025 and October 2026. The attacker, who had no formal technology education and learned hacking from publicly available online materials, previously worked in penetration testing at a security firm from 2019 to 2022. Roughly 60 of the victims were compromised using the generative AI-powered pentesting framework ARTEX, which autonomously determined attack paths after receiving only the target name. The operation resulted in the theft of 8.2 million personal records and internal documents, after which the perpetrator extorted 38 organizations for a total of 360 million won in Tether, ultimately receiving 300,000 won. Police recovered part of the stolen material and are investigating possible copies on the dark web, classifying the case as the country's first large-scale incident involving generative AI. Six additional suspects remain under investigation while the main perpetrator has been referred to prosecutors on charges of violating information and communications network laws and extortion.