Former pentester used ARTEX AI to steal 8.2 million data records

South Korean police identified seven suspects linked to a cybercrime operation that breached more than 90 organizations in the country, with ARTEX AI pentesting framework used in most of the attacks.

According to local media citing the Seoul Metropolitan Police, the gang leader has a background in penetration testing and worked at a cybersecurity company between 2019 and 2022.

In 38 of the incidents, the threat actor demanded ransom payments of 360 million won ($270,000), promising in exchange not to leak stolen data.

Authorities believe the threat actor stole 8.2 million records from compromised organizations, including educational institutes, hospitals, large corporations, and even golf courses.

Yonhap News says that the gang leader is a self-taught 32 year-old hacker and started attacking organizations in September 2025.