AI-powered hacking goes global as Chinese groups use ARTEX to automate cyber espionage

Hacker groups connected to China are increasing their attacks with the help of an AI-driven penetration testing technology named ARTEX. According to CrowdStrike , Vapor Panda has been using the tool since October 17, 2026, in its attacks against over 200 organizations worldwide. Much of the work is done by AI while the final decision-making is performed by humans. Planner and worker agents that pursue many paths at once ARTEX relies on one main agent for managing “planner” agents that plan attacks and the “worker” agents that execute them. The agents work together to share findings as they scan systems, exploit vulnerabilities, and navigate networks. Based on the information provided by CrowdStrike, Vapor Panda used DeepSeek along with an unknown commercial AI system.

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