IntroductionIn October 2026, Zscaler ThreatLabz investigated AI-assisted cyberattacks that combined the ARTEX penetration testing framework with AI coding assistants and custom automation scripts. Initial reporting of the incident identified the targeting of South Korean financial institutions. However, ThreatLabz discovered additional information about the attack, which went far beyond South Korea. The AI-assisted attacks were widespread and targeted organizations around the globe and in multiple industry sectors.In this blog post, ThreatLabz examines the operator’s working environment, explains the roles assigned to AI models and tools, and analyzes the targeting and objectives reflected i