Cybersecurity firm Censys found more than 800 Artex deployments accessible over the internet without a password. Artex is an open-source tool that uses AI to probe computer systems for weaknesses; it does not need to be internet-accessible to work.
Censys researcher Silas Cutler said some systems may belong to authorized testers, but the reason so many were exposed is unclear. Censys said one exposed instance linked to attacks on South Korean financial companies appeared to contain data about other targets, too. Artex has announced it will go closed-source, though copies of its code remain online.
Why it matters
For organizations running internet-facing systems, the findings show that misconfigured hacking tools can expose attack data as well as create opportunities for outsiders to misuse them; Censys did not establish who operated every exposed instance.
