India's CERT-In Warns AI-Assisted Hackers Are Targeting Crypto Exchanges at Machine Speed

India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on Wednesday designated AI-assisted attackers targeting financial institutions as “CRAFTY FALCON” and updated a warning first issued last October. According to Odaily, the latest notice explicitly identifies cryptocurrency exchanges as targets and says the activity is continuing to escalate. CERT-In said attackers exploit vulnerable applications and exposed test environments, using shared credentials and access tokens to enter production systems and deploy malicious files on cloud infrastructure. AI tools help them quickly generate and refine attack scripts, with some operations scheduled for weekends and holidays to delay detection. The agency said attackers used small test transactions to check unauthorized transfers, then stole cryptocurrency wallet keys and moved funds. CERT-In did not identify affected exchanges or disclose losses. It advised companies to maintain round-the-clock security monitoring, increase staffing on weekends and holidays, and lower alert thresholds.