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Microsoft has revealed that around 25 organisations, including US government agencies, had their email accounts compromised by Chinese hackers. These organisations were targeted in a suspected cyber-espionage campaign, Microsoft researchers and officials confirmed, which aimed at accessing sensitive data in computer networks.
The revelation comes just weeks after Beijing denied reports of China-based hackers targeting US entities, dismissing them as “far-fetched and unprofessional.”
According to a blog post by Microsoft, a breach was carried out by a China-based actor known as Storm-0558 on 25 organisational accounts, as well as consumer accounts that were linked to these organisations.
Microsoft’s report on the breach reveals that Storm-0558’s main objectives are espionage, data theft, and credential access. The actor primarily targets government agencies located in Western Europe.
As per the report, the hackers exploited a security vulnerability in their cloud-computing system, which has since been resolved. The hackers managed to infiltrate accounts that used Microsoft’s Outlook email service, forging authentication tokens, which allowed them to impersonate a user.
Based on the level of complexity and specificity of the attack, it is likely that the Chinese hacking group was either affiliated with or working for Beijing’s intelligence service. In a recent blog post, Microsoft’s executive vice president, Charlie Bell, stated that this adversary’s primary objective is espionage, specifically gaining access to email systems for intelligence-gathering purposes.
Microsoft was first informed about an intrusion and compromise on June 16. According to the company’s blog post, a Chinese hacking group gained access to email accounts on May 15, a month prior. However, Microsoft has not disclosed the number of accounts that may have been affected by these hackers.
“We have been working with the impacted customers and notifying them prior to going public with further details,” Microsoft said in its blog post. The US government officials have asked for further information about the vulnerability and its cause from the company, as per a source familiar with the breach.
The revelation comes just weeks after Beijing denied reports of China-based hackers targeting US entities, dismissing them as “far-fetched and unprofessional.”
According to a blog post by Microsoft, a breach was carried out by a China-based actor known as Storm-0558 on 25 organisational accounts, as well as consumer accounts that were linked to these organisations.
Microsoft’s report on the breach reveals that Storm-0558’s main objectives are espionage, data theft, and credential access. The actor primarily targets government agencies located in Western Europe.
As per the report, the hackers exploited a security vulnerability in their cloud-computing system, which has since been resolved. The hackers managed to infiltrate accounts that used Microsoft’s Outlook email service, forging authentication tokens, which allowed them to impersonate a user.
Based on the level of complexity and specificity of the attack, it is likely that the Chinese hacking group was either affiliated with or working for Beijing’s intelligence service. In a recent blog post, Microsoft’s executive vice president, Charlie Bell, stated that this adversary’s primary objective is espionage, specifically gaining access to email systems for intelligence-gathering purposes.
Microsoft was first informed about an intrusion and compromise on June 16. According to the company’s blog post, a Chinese hacking group gained access to email accounts on May 15, a month prior. However, Microsoft has not disclosed the number of accounts that may have been affected by these hackers.
“We have been working with the impacted customers and notifying them prior to going public with further details,” Microsoft said in its blog post. The US government officials have asked for further information about the vulnerability and its cause from the company, as per a source familiar with the breach.
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