Microsoft says hackers A flaw in its code was used to steal emails from government agencies and other customers.
In a blog post published on Friday, the company said that Chinese hackers were able to take advantage of “a validation error in Microsoft code” to carry out their cyberespionage campaign.
The blog provided the most detailed explanation yet for the hack that rocked both the cyber security industry and Sino-US relations. Beijing has denied any involvement in the espionage.
Chinese state-linked jackers were secretly accessing email
Microsoft and US officials said Wednesday night that hackers linked to the Chinese state have been secretly accessing the email accounts of about 25 organizations since May. US officials said these included at least two US government agencies.
Microsoft hasn’t identified any targets of the hack but has identified several victims. admitted that they were affectedThat includes personnel from the State Department, the Commerce Department and the US House of Representatives.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, at a meeting in Jakarta on Thursday that any action targeting the US government, US companies or US citizens “is of deep concern to us, and we will take appropriate action”. ” Hold those responsible accountable, according to a senior State Department official.
Microsoft’s own security practices have come under scrutiny, with officials and lawmakers asking the Redmond, Washington-based company to make its top-level digital auditing, also known as logging, available for free to all of its customers. Is.