Chinese Hacker Extradited to the U.S.
A Chinese hacker accused of stealing COVID-19 research from a U.S. agency during a significant cyberattack has been extradited to the mainland United States. This case, involving Xu Zewei, has been described by FBI Director Kash Patel as “a historic victory for cybersecurity efforts” under the former Trump administration. It aims to hold accountable those targeting America’s infrastructure from abroad.
Patel noted that Xu, identified as a state-sponsored hacker, is believed to have participated in a cyber intrusion campaign aimed at acquiring COVID-19 research from American institutions between 2020 and 2021. As mentioned in a post on social media, Xu was extradited from Italy to the United States this week to face federal charges.
In a related note, the Department of Justice recently indicted two other Chinese nationals for allegedly operating an offshore cryptocurrency fraud center that targeted U.S. citizens.
During the period between 2020 and 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu and his accomplices are said to have hacked the email accounts of various U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists dedicated to COVID-19 research, including significant treatments and vaccine developments.
Xu faces nine charges, including two counts of wire fraud and two counts of obtaining information through unauthorized access to a protected computer, as well as aggravated identity theft. It’s important to note that each wire fraud charge could carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, the Shanghai State Security Bureau, part of China’s intelligence community, directed Xu to execute this hack. The Justice Department highlighted that Xu and fellow hackers reported their activities to officials overseeing these malicious operations. For instance, in February 2020, Xu communicated to SSSB officials that he had compromised a university network in Texas and received instructions to target specific email accounts belonging to researchers in infectious disease studies.
Xu has also been linked to a group known as HAFNIUM, which is reportedly associated with a broader cyber intrusion campaign that impacted around 13,000 U.S. organizations. Patel expressed gratitude towards the collaboration with Italian authorities, particularly the efforts of Italian National Police Chief Vittorio Pisani in bringing Xu into custody.
In conclusion, Fox News Digital is currently waiting for comments from a lawyer representing Xu regarding this situation.
