Cyber Cold War: China Accuses U.S. of Exploiting Microsoft Flaw to Hack Defense Systems

In a significant escalation of cyber tensions, China has accused the United States of launching cyberattacks on its defense infrastructure by exploiting a known vulnerability in Microsoft’s email servers. The Cyber Security Association of China claims U.S. actors compromised servers at key military-linked enterprises, gaining extensive access to critical information for nearly a year.

This accusation adds to a cycle of mutual blame, as Microsoft has previously held China responsible for large-scale cyber intrusions, including the 2021 breach of Exchange servers. Now, China suggests that the same vulnerability used to implicate Chinese groups was initially exploited by the U.S. against its defense systems.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing did not address the specific allegations but reiterated that China poses a significant cyber threat to U.S. interests, citing attacks from state-linked groups.

American cybersecurity experts view China’s accusations as a strategic response to recent U.S. indictments against Chinese hackers.

This ongoing blame game raises concerns about the potential disruption of global cooperation on cybercrime, as both nations leverage cyber attributions for geopolitical influence.

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