Budapest Post

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

Microsoft warns multiple groups attacking clients' email servers, not just Chinese hackers

Microsoft warns multiple groups attacking clients' email servers, not just Chinese hackers

Researchers fear that cyber criminals could exacerbate an initial hacking campaign attributed to a state-sponsored group in China.

Microsoft has warned that "multiple actors" are attacking its clients' email servers following a global hacking campaign which it last week attributed to a China-based state-sponsored group.

Researchers fear the tools used by the initial state-sponsored attackers to access Microsoft Exchange servers could now be exploited by criminals, with calls growing for President Biden to urgently raise the issue with Beijing.

The Chinese state-sponsored campaign is believed to have indiscriminately compromised tens of thousands of on-premise email servers worldwide with an intention to subsequently target specific victims.

Calls are growing for President Joe Biden to intervene.


Last week government security authorities amplified Microsoft's urgent call for customers running on-premise Exchange servers to apply the patch, and the company is now warning that there are multiple groups taking advantage of unpatched systems.

Microsoft initially warned that the state-sponsored group "primarily targets entities in the United States across a number of industry sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defence contractors, policy think tanks, and NGOs".

After compromising email servers belonging to these organisations, Microsoft said the attackers created web shells - interfaces which allow them to remotely access the compromised network even after the original vulnerabilities were patched - which is provoking additional concern.

Because the campaign was so broad, not all of the compromised servers are operated by organisations that would typically be of interest to cyber spies

But experts are concerned that if criminals were to piggyback on those spies' access then they could cause significant collateral damage.

Dmitri Alperovitch, the co-founder and former chief technology officer of cyber security firm Crowdstrike, warned that financially-motivated criminals could access these webshells and potentially deploy ransomware.


"Because this campaign is still ongoing - Chinese have webshells on tens of thousands of networks - the response must demand immediate shutdown of those implants to limit damage, not just signal our displeasure with the fact that it had occurred. Needs to happen now," he added.

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre said it is working to establish the extent of the campaign's impact on the country.

One cyber security professional told Sky News their business had seen a number of clients in the UK compromised by the campaign, many of whom they would not have expected to be a typical target for Beijing, suggesting the attackers would have a subsequent triage stage to select specific victims.

The Washington Post reported that the "indiscriminate nature" of the campaign has caused concern among officials, and that the Biden administration was moving to address the incident - although no actions have yet been announced.

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
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
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×