In Milan, Italy, authorities have detained Xu Zewei, a suspected hacker connected to China’s Ministry of State Security.
One of the earliest hackers connected to Chinese intelligence to be apprehended by American police was Xu.
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The MSS instructed Xu and co-conspirator Zhang Yu to target American immunologists, virologists, and organizations involved in COVID-19 vaccine research in early 2020, according to a Nov. 2023 report.
They allegedly participated in the HAFNIUM cyber campaign, which compromised thousands of machines globally, by stealing confidential information from American colleges and taking advantage of flaws in Microsoft Exchange Server.
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Authorities in Texas claim that Xu verified breaking into a university’s network in February 2020 and then gained access to the email accounts of virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research. According to court documents, he later informed Chinese intelligence personnel of his findings.
Xu was employed by Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., a business that is said to have supported hacking operations for the Chinese government. The allegations, which have a maximum 20-year jail sentence, include identity theft, conspiracy, wire fraud, and unauthorized access to secured devices.
The arrest, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei, shows that the Justice Department is determined to go after hackers even years after their crimes. Douglas Williams, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Houston, stressed the worldwide scope of their investigations and pledged to punish foreign enemies responsible.
Zhang Yu is still at large. Authorities encourage anyone who knows where he is to get in touch with the FBI.
In a statement, the University of Texas Medical Branch acknowledged that they were one of the Texas-based organizations that the hackers had attacked.
The FBI and all participating law enforcement agencies are appreciated by the University of Texas Medical Branch for their hard work in conducting this investigation. We are unable to say further at this time because the FBI and other authorities are still investigating this incident, but we can confirm that UTMB was one of the universities targeted.
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