China’s hackers worked deeper inside U.S. telecom networks, WSJ reports

In a secret meeting at the White House in the fall of 2023, President Biden’s national security adviser told telecommunications and technology executives that Chinese hackers had gained the ability to shut down dozes on U.S. ports, The Wall Street Journal’s Dustin Volz, Aruna Viswanatha, Sarah Krouse and Drew FitzGerald report, citing people familiar with the matter. What no one at the briefing knew, including Jake Sullivan: China’s hackers were already working their way deep inside U.S. telecom networks, too. In the telecom attacks, the hackers exploited unpatched network devices from security vendor Fortinet (FTNT) and compromised large network routers from Cisco Systems (CSCO), the authors said. In addition to deep intrusions into AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ), hackers pierced other networks belonging to Lumen Technologies (LUMN) and T-Mobile (TMUS). The Chinese hackers also reached into Charter Communications (CHTR), Consolidated Communications and Windstream, according to people familiar with the matter.