Prolific Chinese State-Sponsored Contract Hacker Extradited from Italy

3 hours ago

Xu Zewei, a 34-year-old Chinese national, was extradited to the U.S. and appeared in court on charges related to computer intrusions from February 2020 to June 2021.
The hacking activities, directed by China's Ministry of State Security, targeted U.S. COVID-19 research and involved the HAFNIUM campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide.
Xu worked for Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., a company used by the Chinese government to conduct hacking while obscuring its involvement.
He allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, installing web shells to enable remote administration, affecting universities and a global law firm.
Charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, unauthorized access to protected computers, and aggravated identity theft, with maximum penalties ranging from 2 to 20 years per count.
Zhang Yu, a co-conspirator, remains at large, and the FBI is seeking information on his whereabouts.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Houston Field Office, with prosecution led by the Southern District of Texas and the National Security Division's Cyber Section.
The extradition was secured with assistance from Italy, particularly the Italian National Police's Cyber Division.

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