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Chinese hackers infiltrate US govt facilities, energy dept

Published : Thursday, 27 August, 2026 at 9:52 AM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

The United States on Wednesday disrupted a major Chinese hacking operation responsible for intrusions and cyberattack attempts against sensitive government agencies.

Targeted entities included the Department of Justice (DOJ), NASA, the Federal Reserve, the US Senate, and several other sensitive agencies; reported by Reuters.

In an official statement, the Justice Department confirmed seizing domains associated with two hacking platforms, dubbed QScan and QTRouter. The platforms served as core tools in the global cyber campaign.

An official affidavit identified additional victims, including the US Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and four unnamed companies across the US and South Korea.

The Justice Department stated that the hacking platforms were operated by a China-based firm, Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company.

The firm’s clients included China’s civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Nanjing Xinjiuwei did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington stated via email that they were unfamiliar with the specifics. However, the spokesperson emphasized that the Chinese government firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law.

The spokesperson accused the US of using cybersecurity issues to smear China. Beijing opposes the US overstretching the concept of national security to impose discriminatory restrictions on Chinese firms and will safeguard their legitimate rights, the spokesperson added.

According to the affidavit, the hackers used custom-built tools to compromise critical infrastructure and sensitive networks in the US and worldwide since at least 2018.

Not all intrusion attempts proved successful. In August 2019, the hackers failed to penetrate NASA networks after targeting a virtual private network vulnerability.

However, in September 2024, the hackers carried out successful intrusions at three unnamed Energy Department laboratories, the NIH, an unnamed HHS agency, and a US security device manufacturer.

A joint cybersecurity advisory issued by the FBI, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the US Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force detailed extensive hacking efforts over recent years.

These operations included successful data theft from unnamed defense contractors, financial institutions, and universities in May 2024.

The hackers also scanned for network vulnerabilities and made unsuccessful access attempts against the US Senate and a US hospital in March 2026.

Following the disclosure, a NASA spokesperson said the agency does not comment on specific incidents. The Department of Health and Human Services referred all questions to the DOJ, while the DOJ did not respond to requests for further details.

State-linked Chinese hacking campaigns have compromised numerous sensitive US government and private networks in recent years.

In March, the FBI notified Congress that hackers had penetrated specific agency networks containing data on individuals under investigation. Public reporting later attributed the breach to China.

Chinese-linked hackers were also tied to compromises involving US House of Representatives committee networks and major telecommunications companies.

Cybersecurity experts monitoring Chinese operations noted that private contractors routinely carry out high-profile intrusions on behalf of Chinese government entities.

Dakota Cary, a China analyst with cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, noted that the number of private companies offering niche offensive services has exploded over the last decade.

-SA