A Chinese hacking group has reportedly breached a U.S. government surveillance tool, exposing millions of Americans’ call and text data. The attack, attributed to the group “Salt Typhoon,” has been labeled the worst telecom breach in U.S. history.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) confirmed that Salt Typhoon exploited trust connections within telecom networks, gaining access to unencrypted communications. Telecom providers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon were affected, with the breach detected in September.
1/ A "Salt Typhoon" hack shows why backdoors are a gift to China. It's been widely reported that the breach of US telecom systems allowed Chinese hacker group to listen in on the conversations of national security officials and political figures incl. @realDonaldTrump @JDVance. pic.twitter.com/iHpNbbr6H4
— Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability (@savingprivacy) November 25, 2024
The database compromised archives law enforcement wiretap requests but does not include the active wiretapping system. Despite this, the stolen data could enable further surveillance and espionage.
“This is part of a larger effort by China to infiltrate global telecom systems and exfiltrate sensitive information,” Warner said. He emphasized the scale of the breach, warning of its implications for national security.
Officials call China's cyberattack 'worst telecom hack' in US history | CNN#espionage #surveillance #spying #politics #China #technology #telecommunications #hacking #politicshttps://t.co/wSCXiQzfcH via @YouTube
— 0ok (@0ok) November 25, 2024
The attack reportedly impacted prominent figures, including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. The FBI and CISA have identified the perpetrators but provided limited additional details.
Chinese officials have denied involvement, claiming they do not employ cyber-espionage tactics. However, U.S. authorities remain firm in their assessment of Beijing’s involvement.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency are warning that unencrypted texts between Android and iPhones could pose a serious risk following the Salt Typhoon hack of several US telecommunication providers. https://t.co/XUw0HtDiwI pic.twitter.com/2dmCZenglt
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 8, 2024
White House – The U.S. believes that an alleged sweeping Chinese cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon targeted and recorded telephone calls of "very senior" American political figures
Anne Neuberger, US deputy national security adviser👇https://t.co/dgeGMHl1KC— Lilian Armstrong (@LilianArm99) December 8, 2024
This breach highlights the vulnerabilities in America’s telecom infrastructure and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to counter foreign threats.
