Developer of 'Artex' Tool Closes Its Source Code Following Attacks on South Korean Banks

The developer of the open-source security tool 'Artex' on GitHub stated that the tool was 'misused by bad actors,' and that he decided to make the project closed-source and permanently stop updating it, adding that no new public releases will be published and no technical support will be provided. He explained that using the tool to launch attacks 'completely contradicts' the intended purpose of its development.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission says more than 68,000 people were affected by the attacks using the tool, while Shinhan Bank said data belonging to around 25,000 loan applicant customers was leaked, including their names, phone numbers, and annual incomes. This leak comes as part of a broader incident affecting several Korean financial institutions, prompting a wide-ranging investigation.

The tool was available to everyone because its code was open, allowing it to be downloaded, modified, and used freely, which accelerates the development of protection tools but also opens the door to misuse. Security testing tools are typically used to scan systems and find vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them, but this time, its use was proven in automating vulnerability scanning and selecting intrusion methods.

The incident highlights the dual-use problem of free AI-powered software tools, as attacking entities can now rely on publicly available software to speed up hacking operations instead of developing their own tools. The decision to make the source code closed could prompt developers to reconsider making their sensitive tools available, with subsequent impacts on the pace of development across the cybersecurity sector as a whole.

What do these terms mean?

Open Source: Software whose source code is made available to everyone to inspect, modify, and use freely, accelerating its development but also allowing for its misuse.

Penetration Testing: A simulation of a cyberattack on a system to identify its weaknesses before a real attacker exploits them, used to strengthen security.

Vulnerability: A flaw or weakness in software or a system that allows an attacker to gain access, gain control, or access its data.