Chinese Hackers Breach U.S. Treasury Department Systems

The U.S. Treasury Department has confirmed that Chinese hackers gained unauthorized access to several of its workstations and unclassified documents. The breach, facilitated through a compromise of a third-party software provider, is currently under investigation as a significant cybersecurity incident.

The Treasury Department disclosed that the hackers exploited a vulnerability in a third-party service to gain remote access. While the department has not specified the exact number of affected workstations or the nature of the compromised documents, it maintains that there is no current evidence of ongoing unauthorized access. A spokesperson emphasized the department's commitment to bolstering its cyber defenses in collaboration with both public and private partners.

In response to the allegations, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed the claims as "groundless accusations" lacking evidence. They reiterated China's stance against all forms of hacking and condemned the dissemination of what they termed false information for political purposes.

This incident unfolds as U.S. officials continue to address the aftermath of the "Salt Typhoon" cyberespionage campaign, which has reportedly affected numerous telecommunications companies and potentially exposed private communications of American citizens. The growing number of confirmed cases underscores the persistent threat posed by state-sponsored cyber activities.

According to the Treasury Department, the breach originated on December 8th, when a software provider, BeyondTrust, alerted them about the theft of a security key used for remote technical support. This key was then used to override security measures, giving hackers unauthorized access to Treasury employee workstations. The compromised service has been deactivated, and authorities are working with the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to investigate the full scope of the incident. The breach has been attributed to Chinese state-sponsored actors, though no specific details have been released.