A Chinese program that uses AI to launch hacker attacks has been discovered online

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered hundreds of active and exposed installations online of Chinese-origin AI-based software developed to conduct cyberattacks. The systems are directly reachable through the network, increasing the risk of large-scale offensives.

The tool is called Artex and had already been reported in recent weeks by some security companies, in particular for intrusion attempts against financial institutions in South Korea and targeted attacks on corporate cloud services. Following this evidence, the developer removed the original code, but derived versions of the program continue to circulate online.

The specialized company Censys has detected over 800 distinct installations connected to the internet on which the program is active, especially in the United States and Asia. In several dozen cases, operators left server folders unprotected, allowing anyone to view and download ready-to-use configuration files, credentials, and malicious code.

Artex falls into the category of "penetration testing" software, platforms designed to autonomously analyze networks in search of vulnerabilities to exploit.