Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

FBI Hacks Vulnerable US Computers in Sweeping Takedown of Malware Blamed on China

FBI Hacks Vulnerable US Computers in Sweeping Takedown of Malware Blamed on China

Software giant Microsoft accused China of orchestrating a hack attack in March, alleging that a “state-sponsored threat actor” referred to as “Hafnium” had taken advantage of multiple security vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s email service software to steal data.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been hacking into “hundreds” of vulnerable computers of US companies to remove malware from their software, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday.

The operation, approved by a federal court, presupposed wiping out “back doors” into American-based servers that were earlier exposed to malware by a Microsoft Exchange vulnerability identified by the company, reported The Washington Post.

“Today’s court-authorised removal of the malicious web shells demonstrates the Department’s commitment to disrupt hacking activity using all of our legal tools, not just prosecutions,” Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in a statement.

With the hacking operation still ongoing, the DOJ said it was “committed to playing its integral and necessary role in such efforts.”

HackersExploit 'Flaws'


The move comes after Microsoft accused Chinese hackers of carrying out a massive and sophisticated cyber attack on its Exchange email service in March.

The software giant claimed that a “state-sponsored threat actor” referred to as “Hafnium” had exploited multiple security flaws in Microsoft’s email service software – now fixed – to steal data and plant malware from January 2021.

China dismissed the claims, with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin saying Beijing “firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms,” and warning that blaming any nation without providing evidence is a “highly sensitive political issue."

Sweeping ‘Takedown’


In line with the sweeping recent "takedown," the FBI ran insecure versions of Microsoft software in order to patch the flaws, in other words, exploiting the same weaknesses in the servers that have still not been fixed to preclude further hacking attacks.

Cyber space


The shells removed by law enforcement “each had a unique file path and name, they may have been more challenging for individual server owners to detect and eliminate than other web shells,” according to the DOJ.

US officials and Microsoft claim the damage from the major security flaw allowed hackers to infiltrate the servers of at least 30,000 American organisations.

While removing malware placed by one hacker group, the operation carried out by the FBI stopped short of actively fixing the underlying vulnerability.

This leaves the affected computers vulnerable to malware in the future, unless their owners take action to protect them. The FBI is “attempting” to notify all the owners, it added.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×