Vietnam Alleged to Have Hacked Chinese Organizations in Charge of COVID-19 Response

Hackers working on behalf of the Vietnamese government attempted to break into Chinese organizations heading up the country’s coronavirus response, according to infosec outfit FireEye.

APT32, a hacking group previously linked to the Vietnamese government, tried to access the personal and professional email addresses of staff at China’s Ministry of Emergency Management and the government of Wuhan, where it is believed the pandemic started, according to a report released by FireEye yesterday.

Between January and April, APT32 sent Chinese officials phishing emails that contained a tracking link claiming to direct the reader to a report on office equipment bids. When clicked, the link would report back to the hackers, indicating that they the trigger-happy user was vulnerable to malware. . .

Tensions between Vietnam and China are high, as the former nation this week protested the latter’s extension of its domestic administration units to cover disputed islands in the South China Sea. (Read more from “Vietnam Alleged to Have Hacked Chinese Organizations in Charge of COVID-19 Response” HERE)

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