China-developed AI tool ARTEX used in attacks on about 20 Japanese companies, GMO Ierae said
Tokyo-based security firm GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae said its researchers confirmed that ARTEX was used in many recent attacks on Japanese companies. ARTEX is an AI tool developed in China to test cyberdefenses, and it has been linked to breaches at South Korean banks the month before. According to the firm, the attacks came from a single server infrastructure aimed almost exclusively at Japan. They targeted about 20 Japanese companies, including nine in the same industry. Eight of the targeted companies have disclosed data leaks in the last two months, and the firm said the same group may be behind multiple breaches. It also identified six AI-enabled servers that appeared to target Japanese companies in sectors including e-commerce, finance, retail and logistics. Ierae shared its findings with law enforcement and is investigating whether countries beyond Japan and South Korea are also being targeted.
What the AI did
According to GMO Ierae researchers, attackers used ARTEX, an AI tool developed in China to test cyberdefenses, in many recent attacks on Japanese companies. The firm also identified six AI-enabled servers that appeared to target Japanese companies across several sectors.
First reported October 20, 2026 · Added to the register October 31, 2026 · 1 source
- Targeted companies that disclosed data leaks
- 8
- Model
- ARTEX
- Affected
- About 20 Japanese companies, nine in the same industry
- Country
- Japan
- When it happened
- Not stated in the sources
- First reported
- October 20, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
About 20 Japanese companies were targeted, and eight of them have disclosed data leaks in the last two months. The same tool has been linked to breaches at South Korean banks, and the security firm is investigating whether other countries are also being targeted.
What to check
- Review how exposed your internet-facing systems are to automated AI-driven attacks.
- Monitor for warning signs linked to ARTEX attack campaigns.
- Share threat information with peers in your sector.
- Coordinate with law enforcement on threat information.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Every fact and its source (3)
- ResponseIerae shared findings with law enforcement“has shared its findings with law enforcement”[1]
- AI-enabled attack servers identified6“identified six AI-enabled servers that appeared to target Japanese companies”[1]
- Companies hit in the wider wave of Japanese breachesDaiwa Securities Group, East Japan Railway, SoftBank“from Daiwa Securities Group Inc. to East Japan Railway Co. and SoftBank Corp.”[1]
Sources
- AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan: Security Firminsurancejournal.com · October 20, 2026
How this record is classified. Severity S (4/5): real harm to one organisation, data exposed, or a containment failure. OECD level: incident, an event in which an AI system led to actual harm. Evidence: Reported, meaning press reporting only.
The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.
