The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating a large-scale cyberattack on American law firms, which is suspected to have been organized by Chinese hackers. This was reported by The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the situation, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that one of the main targets was the well-known company Williams & Connolly, which serves many high-ranking politicians, including Bill and Hillary Clinton.
The firm informed clients that attackers gained access to part of their computer systems and compromised several lawyers' email accounts using a "zero-day" vulnerability – a previously unknown weak point in the security system.
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At the same time, Williams & Connolly stated that it had taken measures to neutralize the threat and found no signs of unauthorized data movement.
According to the NYT, China-linked hackers have breached the networks of more than a dozen law and technology firms in recent months.
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Cybersecurity company Mandiant explained that these attacks are part of a multi-year cyberespionage campaign that uses "zero-day" vulnerabilities to collect intelligence from US legal, government, and commercial organizations.
According to the Mandiant report, the goal of the attacks is to obtain data related to US national security and international trade.
Recall
The US Cybersecurity Agency issued a directive to address vulnerabilities after ArcaneDoor hackers breached Cisco Systems Inc. devices. This attack, ongoing since 2024, affected critical infrastructure, but the scale and victims remain unknown.