Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

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.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
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!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×