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Security researchers say the Chinese government - linked hacking group , Salt Typhoon , is continuing to compromise telecommunications provider , despite therecent indorsement levy by the U.S. governmenton the group .

In a report partake with TechCrunch , threat news firm Recorded Future say it had observedSalt Typhoon — which the company tracks as “ RedMike ” — breaching five telecommunication firms between December 2024 and January 2025 .

Salt Typhoon made headline last September after it was uncover that the mathematical group had infiltrate several U.S. phone and cyberspace giants , including AT&T and Verizon , to gain access to the private communications of senior U.S. government official and political figures .

Salt Typhoon alsohacked into the systemsthat law enforcement way apply for court - authorized collection of customer data , potentially accessing sensitive information such as the identities of Chinese target of U.S. surveillance .

Recorded Future refuse to name Salt Typhoon ’s late victim but said they admit a U.S.-based affiliate of a striking U.K. telecommunications supplier , a U.S. internet service provider , and telecommunications companies in Italy , South Africa , and Thailand .

The hacker also performed reconnaissance mission — the practice of covertly discovering and collect info about a system — on multiple infrastructure assets operated by Myanmar - base telecommunication provider , Mytel , allot to Recorded Future .

To carry out these flak , Salt Typhoon exploited two vulnerabilities ( tracked as CVE-20232 - 0198 and CVE-2023 - 20273 ) to compromise unpatched Cisco devices running Cisco IOS XE software .   The hacking group has attempted to compromise more than 1,000 Cisco devices globally , focusing particularly on devices associated with telecommunications supplier ’ networks , Recorded Future said .

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Recorded Future also said it had observed Salt Typhoon targeting equipment associated with universities , include the University of California and Utah Tech . The researcher said the hacking group “ possibly targeted these university to get at research in area related to telecommunications , engineering science , and technology . ”

The U.S. regime has sanctioned companies linked to the mathematical group . In January , the U.S. Treasury Department — itself targeted by Chinese government hackersrecently — said it had sanctioned a China - based cybersecurity caller jazz as Sichuan Juxinhe connection Technology , which it pronounce is straight off connect to Salt Typhoon .

commemorate Future ’s research worker say despite this action , it expects Salt Typhoon to carry on targeting telecommunications provider in the U.S. and elsewhere .