3 days ago
US Officials Correct China Hacking Claims About Targeted Agencies
US officials first said several government agencies had been hacked by a Chinese group.
They later corrected that statement.
They said the agencies were targets, which does not always mean the hackers got inside.
The FBI said an attempted attack on NASA failed because NASA had fixed the software weakness.
The FBI also said some other organizations were successfully compromised.
These included several Department of Energy laboratories and health-related agencies.
A separate advisory described successful data theft from unnamed contractors, financial institutions, and universities.
China denied the US allegations and said the United States was using them unfairly against China.
The Department of Justice revised its statement, saying US agencies were targeted by QTFY rather than all being successfully hacked.
The FBI said the campaign targeted networks including NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy, and the US Senate.
An FBI affidavit said a NASA intrusion attempt failed because the agency had patched the targeted software.
The affidavit alleged successful intrusions in September 2024 involving three Department of Energy laboratories, NIH, an HHS agency, and a security-device manufacturer.
China rejected the allegations, accusing the United States of using cybersecurity claims to smear China and restrict Chinese companies.
- Who
- The US Department of Justice, FBI, and other agencies; the Chinese state-sponsored group QTFY; and the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
- What
- US officials corrected claims that several agencies were hacked, clarifying that all were targeted but only some were allegedly compromised.
- Where
- US federal networks and organizations, including NASA, the Federal Reserve, Department of Energy laboratories, NIH, and the US Senate.
- When
- The correction was issued on Friday after an August 26 statement; the alleged activity dates back to at least 2018, with specific incidents in September 2024 and March 2026.
- Why
- The Department of Justice said it revised the statement to accurately reflect the allegations in the FBI affidavit supporting domain seizures.
US Officials' Account
China's Response
Nature of the cyber campaign
US Officials' Account
US officials and an FBI affidavit allege that QTFY targeted US federal networks and successfully compromised some organizations, while other attempts failed.
China's Response
China rejects the allegations and says the United States uses cybersecurity claims to smear or discredit China.
Use of cybersecurity claims
US Officials' Account
The Department of Justice says precise wording is necessary to distinguish attempted attacks from confirmed compromises.
China's Response
The Chinese Embassy says the United States is overstretching the concept of national security to justify discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies.
Key facts
- Hacking group
- QTFY, identified by US officials as a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group.
- Original wording
- An August 26 statement described all named agencies as victims.
- Corrected wording
- The revised statement said the agencies were among QTFY's targets, while only some were allegedly compromised.
- NASA attempt
- The FBI said an attempted breach of NASA was unsuccessful because the targeted software had been patched.
- Alleged September 2024 intrusions
- Three Department of Energy National Laboratories, NIH, an HHS agency, and a US security-device manufacturer were identified as alleged victims.
- Chinese response
- A Chinese Embassy spokesperson rejected the US allegations and accused the United States of smearing China.
Quotes
US Department of Justice
US federal department that issued the corrected press release
“Edits have been made to ensure this press release accurately reflects the government’s allegations in the affidavit in support of the domain seizures.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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