Vulnerability in apps behind recent spate of cyberattacks on Japan firms

TOKYO – Vulnerabilities found in smartphone apps may be behind the recent spate of cyberattacks against Japanese firms that have led to multiple reports of data breaches, as artificial intelligence is being used to attack servers, according to a recent analysis by a research institute.Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, which falls under the communications ministry, said apps made for US IT giant Google’s Android operating system were targeted, with those for Apple likely to be attacked as well.Reports of unauthorised access and subsequent information leaks in recent weeks have prompted the government to urge businesses to tighten security.The institute said that “it is important to design and operate servers in a way that secure safety”, citing the difficulty of preventing weaknesses in apps from being identified by bad actors.According to a research team at the institute, attackers analysed the programmes used by apps to uncover flaws in the servers, launching attacks to force unintended actions or run malware to gain access to confidential data.“Based on the spread of these attacks, there is a possibility that AI is being used to automate them,” a spokesperson of the institute said.The Japanese firms hit by data breaches include the operator of the Times Car vehicle-sharing service, East Japan Railway and Yamaha Motor, while major travel agency H.I.S. said customer passport information was leaked late in 2025. KYODO NEWS