(CNN) — US officials on Wednesday exposed a major alleged Chinese cyber-espionage campaign they say has compromised numerous federal agencies including NASA, the Federal Reserve, the departments of Justice and Energy, and the US Senate.
Hackers affiliated with the Chinese military and intelligence services allegedly used a Chinese tech company to try to cover their tracks, burrow into target networks and make their attacks more efficient. Other targets include US military networks, hospitals, power companies and defense contractors, according to the Justice Department.
The department tried to stop further damage on Wednesday by seizing three internet domains affiliated with the Chinese company. Federal agencies also plan to release an advisory on the hackers’ techniques so victim companies can kick out the intruders.
The full impact of the spying effort was not immediately clear. Any counterintelligence assessments of the damage by US officials are likely to remain private due to security concerns.
The announcement highlights the latest in a number of long-running alleged Chinese hacking campaigns against core American infrastructure like power plants and banks.
Cybersecurity has been a source of simmering tension for years in the US-China relationship, flaring at moments of high-profile hacks, such as when the US officials in 2023 began accusing China of hacking military transportation networks, water plants and power firms to potentially sabotage any US response to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. US officials expressed outrage at that activity, arguing that there was no legitimate intelligence purpose for infiltrating those targets. China denied the allegations.
US officials and America’s biggest phone companies also spent months in 2024 digging out from China’s alleged infiltration of telecom networks. Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance were among the targets.
CNN has asked the Chinese Embassy in Washington for comment. The Chinese government routinely denies US hacking allegations and in turn accuses US spy agencies of cyberattacks.
CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz contributed reporting.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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