Chinese hackers.Photo: depositphotos.
Hacking attacks organised by Chinese intelligence have penetrated deeper than previously known. Spies exploiting outdated equipment and network vulnerabilities were able to listen in on phone calls and read text messages, raising serious concerns among US officials.Information provided by Time Ukraine Israel news portal, based on materials from The New York Times.
Chinese cyber threat: new details of the hack
On Thursday, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner said that China’s recent hacking attack on US telecommunications systems was much more extensive than previously reported. In particular, the hackers managed to listen to telephone conversations and read text messages sent via conventional telephone networks. According to him, the hacking, organised by a group linked to Chinese intelligence, has become a serious threat to national security.
Shocking scale of penetration
Warner, a former telecoms executive, stressed that the hackers exploited vulnerabilities in outdated telecoms network components to access sensitive information. “The barn door is still wide open or almost open,” he said, commenting on the extent of the breach. The attack, which was discovered in the summer of 2023, raised serious concerns about the ability of Chinese hackers to monitor the conversations of important US officials.
Warner noted that the scale of the hack was much larger than just stealing passwords or breaching standard wiretapping procedures. Investigators found that hackers had infiltrated all major US telecommunications companies, including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, and used these vulnerabilities to collect important information. While the hackers were unable to listen to encrypted messages like those on WhatsApp or Signal, they had access to regular text messages and phone calls, allowing them to collect metadata such as call duration, phone numbers, and geolocation data.
A threat to US national security
According to the investigation, the Chinese hackers focused on surveillance of high-profile individuals, such as politicians and national security officials. One of the most troubling aspects is the collection of metadata on the phone calls of US officials, which could have provided Chinese spies with important information about their location and communications. Investigators also do not rule out that China may have had access to this data for a long time, which raises questions about the level of protection of national infrastructures.
China’s cyber threat at a new level
Warner compared China’s hacking attack to other cyber incidents, such as the SolarWinds hack and attacks on Colonial Pipeline, saying that the Chinese hack is the most serious telecommunications incident in US history. According to him, the breaches could send a serious signal to the US about the need to strengthen cybersecurity and raise information security standards. Warner also called on the US government to continue the investigation to identify all aspects of Chinese penetration and eliminate vulnerabilities in national systems.
International threat
Hacking by Chinese hackers has serious international implications. Previously, similar attacks were recorded in Australia and the UK, where governments were also forced to strengthen cybersecurity. Warner expressed hope that the disclosure of the Chinese hack in the US will lead to the development of new, stricter security standards in other countries, which will prevent similar incidents in the future.
The attacks by Chinese hackers on US telecommunications networks have become a serious challenge to national security, and their consequences will be felt for a long time. The penetration of the communications systems of important individuals, as well as the metadata collected, demonstrate the scale and seriousness of the threat. This discovery places new demands on strengthening cybersecurity measures, both nationally and internationally.
