China-linked hackers use open-source AI to breach Taiwan government systems

Suspected Chinese operators turned freely available AI agents into an autonomous hacking tool that broke into Taiwanese government networks over four days in early July, according to the Financial Times. 

The Israeli AI firm Dream said the attack broke into at least 85 accounts and stole more than 2500 personnel records. 

How were Taiwanese government systems compromised? 

An Israeli AI firm, Dream, says hackers who are suspected to have links to China infiltrated Taiwanese government systems by using open-source AI agents wired together to behave like a full offensive team. 

At its peak, the Financial Times report stated that the setup consisted of as many as eight agents working at once, and over a four-day window in July, it surveyed 21 government systems, hunted for weak points, and switched its approach whenever it was blocked by defenders.

Dream says the attackers got into at least 85 government accounts and pulled out more than 2,500 personnel records before the operation reached further, touching Taiwan’s nuclear safety agency and no fewer than seven energy companies. 

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