US alerts on Chinese hackers targeting NASA, ministries, and the Fed

U.S. authorities have announced the disruption of a sophisticated Chinese cyberespionage campaign that targeted critical American government institutions. The operation allegedly used hacking platforms known as QScan and QTRouter to infiltrate sensitive networks, including those of the Department of Justice, NASA, the Federal Reserve, and the Senate.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that domains associated with these hacking tools were seized as part of the operation. Court documents indicate that targets also included the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and several private companies in the U.S. and South Korea.

According to U.S. officials, the hacking platforms were operated by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, a Chinese firm. The company's clients reportedly included China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), suggesting state backing for the cyber activities.

Chinese hackers have been employing self-developed tools to breach critical infrastructure and sensitive networks since at least 2018. Recent incidents cited by U.S. authorities include unsuccessful attempts to access NASA networks in August 2019 and breaches of Department of Energy labs, NIH, and an HHS-affiliated service in September 2024.

This latest announcement adds to a series of cyberattacks that U.S. officials have attributed to China in recent years. Experts monitoring Chinese cyber activities note a significant increase in private companies offering specialized offensive services on behalf of Chinese state agencies, highlighting the growing sophistication and reach of these operations.

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The number of companies offering specialized offensive services has exploded in the last decade.