KoreaHacks on seven Korean financial firms show signs of AI agents at work

From late September to early October, seven financial firms including Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana and BNK Busan banks, a savings bank and a capital company were breached in a row. The same attacker IP turned up at several of them, and the Financial Security Institute found traces of AI tools on the attack servers. Analysts believe external AI agents systematically probed the banks for weak entry points.

The attackers got in through systems customers do not use directly, such as an employee mobile support system and a loan broker inquiry service. Names, phone numbers, resident registration numbers, income and loan limits leaked, including for about 25,000 Shinhan customers. Transaction data and banking systems were reported safe. The Financial Services Commission held an emergency meeting and ordered all banks to run security checks and share attack information.