Chinese hackers attacked the US National Nuclear Security Administration: Bloomberg
Hackers linked to China have launched an attack on the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. About this informs Bloomberg.
Hackers used a vulnerability in the Microsoft SharePoint software to penetrate the institution responsible for the production and dismantling of nuclear weapons. As a result of the incident, no confidential or secret information was leaked. A representative of the Ministry of Energy confirmed the fact of the attack, clarifying that it happened on July 18, and its consequences were limited.
In addition, the systems of the US Department of Education, the Florida Department of Revenue and a number of other institutions were affected by cyberattacks. Microsoft previously reported three hacking groups backed by the Chinese government using vulnerabilities in SharePoint to gain access to systems around the world. These groups are Linen Typhoon, Violet Typhoon and Storm-2603.
Although Microsoft has already patched the vulnerabilities, at least 60 institutions, including energy sector organizations, consulting companies and universities in the US, have been reported to have been attacked. Hackers have also used malware to penetrate the systems of national governments in Europe and the Middle East, the agency’s interlocutors said.
It will be recalled that on July 21, 2023, Chinese hackers conducted a large-scale espionage operation, during which they hacked the e-mails of employees of the US State Department, including the US ambassador to China, gaining access to hundreds of thousands of emails.
