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A Chinese hacking group reportedly cloned and deployed a zero-day exploit developed by the U.S. National Security Agency s Equation Group before Microsoft patched the Windows vulnerability that was being exploited in 2017, according to an analysis published Monday by Check Point Research.
For several years, researchers had suspected the Chinese hacking group known as APT31 or Zirconium had developed an exploit tool to take advantage of a vulnerability tracked as CVE-2017-0005 and found in older versions of Windows, such as Windows 7 and Windows 8, according to the report.
The new Check Point research, however, demonstrates how the Chinese hacking group reportedly stole, cloned and then exploited a zero-day vulnerability created by the Equation Group, which is widely believed to be tied to the NSA s elite Tailored Access Operations team.
NSA Hacking Tool Was Stolen by Chinese Hackers and Used Against US
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A National Security Agency (NSA) hacking tool was stolen by Chinese hackers in 2014 and used against US targets, according to researchers.
The NSA is tasked with protecting US digital communications and resources, as well as trying to crack the communications of entities the US considers hostile. The agency also engages in signal intelligence gathering, both foreign and domestic. As part of its activities, the NSA develops tools to help it crack encryption and hack into systems. The Tailored Access Operations (TAO) NSA unit, also known as the “Equation Group,” is primarily responsible for the latter realm of operations.
Chinese Hackers Reportedly Wielded a Stolen NSA Cyber Weapon for Years
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Filed to:advanced persistent threat
This undated photo provided by the National Security Agency (NSA) shows its headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. (Photo: NSA, Getty Images)
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New research suggests a hacking tool previously developed by the National Security Agency was stolen years ago by a prolific Chinese cyber group and was subsequently used against a variety of U.S. targets.