A suspected North Korean government-backed hacker group, known as Kimsuky, used ChatGPT to forge drafts of South Korean military ID cards, making phishing attempts appear convincing and linking to malware capable of extracting data from recipients' devices.
Kimsuky, suspected of being backed by North Korea, used ChatGPT to forge IDs
According to research released by the South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians , a suspected North Korean government-backed hacker group (Kimsuky) used ChatGPT to forge drafts of South Korean military ID cards to create realistic images and make phishing attacks more convincing. Genians said the emails did not contain actual images but instead linked to malware capable of extracting data from the recipient's device.
Kimsuky is suspected of being sponsored by North Korea and has previously been linked to other espionage operations against South Korean targets. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated in a 2020 advisory that Kimsuky is likely being commissioned by the North Korean regime to conduct global intelligence gathering missions.
The targets of this cybercrime wave include South Korean journalists, researchers, and human rights activists who focus on North Korea. The phishing emails also came from an email address ending in .mil.kr, impersonating a South Korean military email address.
Hackers are using AI tools to keep up with the times. Are you keeping up?
OpenAI said in February it had banned suspected North Korean accounts from using the service to create fake resumes, cover letters and social media posts to recruit people to help with its programs, Bloomberg reported.
However, this time, Genians researchers tried to use ChatGPT when investigating forged IDs. Since copying government IDs is illegal in South Korea, ChatGPT initially rejected the request when asked to create an ID, but was able to bypass this restriction after modifying the prompt.
Anthropic said in August that it discovered North Korean hackers using the Claude Code tool to be hired by a Fortune 500 tech company in the United States and work remotely. In this case, Claude helped them create complex fake identities, pass coding assessments, and then deliver actual technical work after being hired.
This also means that hackers are using emerging artificial intelligence in their attacks, including attack scenario planning, malware development, tool building, and impersonating recruiters, which has indeed made the overall process simpler and faster. As AI technology advances with each passing day, hackers are making good use of this tool to continuously push the limits.
AI is not only reshaping industries but also quietly changing our lifestyles. The general public needs to actively learn AI fundamentals and application skills, mastering new technologies to stay competitive in the workplace. When using AI tools, individuals should exercise caution to avoid disclosing sensitive personal information and be wary of suspicious messages and unfamiliar links.
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