The Chinese-made artificial intelligence (AI) penetration testing tool known as "ARTEX," which was reportedly used in a series of hacking attacks targeting South Korea's financial sector, is halting its public development amid controversy over its malicious use.

The developer of ARTEX announced that it would stop updates and not release additional versions, citing the tool's exploitation in cyberattacks.

Related pages have also reportedly disappeared from the developer platform GitHub.

However, as it is impossible to recall programs already distributed, the suspension measure alone is not expected to completely block cyberattacks utilizing ARTEX.

According to foreign media outlets including AFP and Reuters on October 10, the ARTEX developer, "Autumn-27," stated in a post uploaded to GitHub on October 8 that ARTEX had been abused, adding, "Considering the improper use of the tool, ARTEX will no longer be updated and will transition to a closed-source model."

"Additional versions will not be made public, and maintenance support will not be provided," the developer added.

While ARTEX stated that using the tool for cyberattacks runs counter to the developer's intentions, it did not directly mention the hacking incidents that occurred in South Korea.

In addition, ARTEX claimed that it takes no responsibility for activities violating laws and regulations using the tool.

Reuters reported that the GitHub page for ARTEX has been removed.

Experts pointed out that transitioning ARTEX to a closed-source model could make it more difficult for new users to generate code.

However, a Chinese IT expert told AFP that this decision by ARTEX cannot remove copies that have already been downloaded or prevent users from continuing to use them.

ARTEX is an autonomous penetration testing program designed to connect large language models (LLMs) so that AI agents can analyze targets, plan infiltration routes, and execute security tools.

U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike analyzed that attacks targeting South Korean financial institutions took place between late last month and early this month, and that the attackers utilized ARTEX alongside LLMs.

(Photo: Yonhap News)