A 15-year-old high school student in Japan has been arrested for allegedly using ChatGPT to help develop software that was later used in a cyberattack targeting Bandai Namco Filmworks’ Bandai Channel streaming service. The incident disrupted the platform’s operations and resulted in the cancellation of more than 46,000 user accounts.
According to reports citing the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the teenager has been accused of fraudulent obstruction of business after allegedly exploiting a vulnerability in the anime streaming platform in November 2025.
Investigators claim the suspect used ChatGPT to assist in writing software that automated unauthorised access to member accounts, ultimately leading to the cancellation of 46,812 subscriptions, according to The Straits Times.
During questioning, the teenager reportedly admitted using ChatGPT to speed up the development process.
“I created the source code for the withdrawal process myself. Since the processing was taking a long time, I asked ChatGPT and completed it in a different programming language,” he said.
Attack Disrupted Services For Weeks
Police allege that on November 4, 2025, the student sent fraudulent commands to Bandai Channel’s servers, exploiting a security flaw that allowed unauthorised access to user accounts.
The cyberattack disrupted the streaming platform’s services from November 6, with full operations only being restored in December after extensive repairs to its systems. Following the disruption, Bandai Namco Filmworks reported the incident to law enforcement authorities.
Investigators believe the teenager identified the vulnerability on his own before exploiting it to access account information. The attack also forced the company to temporarily suspend parts of its streaming service.
Authorities further allege that after the company blocked his access, the teenager changed his IP address approximately 30 times in an attempt to continue sending malicious commands.
Teen Says He Had “No Grudge” Against The Company
The suspect, who was a junior high school student at the time of the alleged offence, had already been arrested in June this year in connection with other computer-related offences.
According to investigators, he began learning programming while still in elementary school and taught himself coding skills independently.
During questioning, the teenager reportedly said he did not target the company out of revenge or personal animosity.
“I started using computers when I was in the fourth grade and taught myself everything I know. I happened to be able to access the information and had nothing against the company.”
He also reportedly told investigators that he chose the platform simply because “there were many accounts I could log into.”
Company Assures Customers After Data Breach
Following the cyberattack, Bandai Namco Filmworks contacted affected customers individually and advised them to remain alert for phishing attempts and impersonation emails.
Users whose subscriptions had been cancelled were instructed to re-register their accounts, while the company also announced refunds for subscription fees charged during the service disruption.
Despite the breach, the company said there is no evidence that the leaked data has been published online or misused.
“We take this situation very seriously and will continue to conduct regular checks and strive to prevent any recurrence,” the company said.
The case has once again highlighted growing concerns about cybercrime involving young individuals, as well as the misuse of widely available AI tools in software development. Authorities, however, allege that the criminal activity stemmed from the suspect’s actions rather than the AI tool itself.