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India flags Chinese-linked AI tools in hacking campaign against financial firms

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

A hacking group designated as Crafty Falcon is deploying automated software tools—including ARTEX and PentAGI—to survey targets and execute unauthorized disbursements at machine speed. The attackers systematically launch intrusions during holidays and weekends, even returning to re-exploit entities that implemented incomplete security remediations. This threat emerges amid wider institutional turmoil, as Indian regulators enact tighter controls following multiple high-profile balance debits and data leaks across local banks.

Key points

  • Hackers are actively manipulating internal payment and disbursement systems to transfer i…: Hackers are actively manipulating internal payment and disbursement systems to transfer institutional funds without triggering standard detection.
  • Incomplete security patches leave victim institutions vulnerable to repeated compromise f…: Incomplete security patches leave victim institutions vulnerable to repeated compromise from automated threat actors seeking easy re-entry.
  • Multiple recent security failures and unauthorized debits have driven the Reserve Bank of…: Multiple recent security failures and unauthorized debits have driven the Reserve Bank of India to enforce stricter network defenses.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

India's cybersecurity agency said the attackers used publicly available AI tools to automate break-ins "at machine speed", calling the threat "active and ongoing".

BENGALURU/MUMBAI: India's cybersecurity agency named the hacking group behind a wave of AI-driven attacks on financial firms and identified its tools, at least two of them linked to China, adding India to a growing list of countries where such tools have been used against banks.

The group, which the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) calls "Crafty Falcon," has breached non-bank lenders, fintech firms and cryptocurrency exchanges, according to an advisory issued on Wednesday (Nov 4).

CERT-In did not say who was behind the breaches or where the organisation operates.

The advisory came after a spate of cyberattacks on Indian banks and non-bank lenders in recent weeks, even as authorities issued warnings and the Reserve Bank of India tightened cybersecurity checks.

CERT-In said the attackers use publicly available AI tools to automate break-ins "at machine speed", calling the threat "active and ongoing".

It named four tools: ARTEX, PentAGI, Cairn and CyberStrikeAI. Security researchers have linked at least…

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