China-Linked Cyber Campaign Infiltrated Dozens of Western Governments: Dutch Intelligence

The Epoch Times Header

The Netherlandsโ€™ National Cyber Security Center said the Chinese cyber campaign is far larger than previously thought.

A China-linked cyber campaign that infiltrated a Dutch defense network last year is much larger than previously thought and has infiltrated tens of thousands of government and defense systems in Western nations, according to the Dutch government.

The campaign, dubbed COATHANGER, has been linked to communist China and it exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the FortiGate firewall system used by the Netherlands and other nations on many government networks. Zero-day vulnerabilities exist when a software update is first deployed.

Dutch intelligenceโ€™s original report, released in February, said that damage from the breach was limited because of โ€œnetwork segmentation,โ€ which separates an affected system from the nationโ€™s wider defense network.

The Netherlandsโ€™ National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) announced on June 10, however, that the Chinese cyber campaign is far larger than previously thought.

NCSC said that COATHANGER compromised 20,000 systems across dozens of Western governments, international organizations, and a large number of companies within the defense industry.

Moreover, the statement said, the attackers used the intrusion to install malware on some of those compromised targets to guarantee continued access to those systems. The malware still has not been cut off.

โ€œThis gave the state actor permanent access to the systems,โ€ the statement reads. โ€œEven if a victim installs FortiGate security updates, the state actor continues to have this access.โ€

โ€œIt is not known how many victims are actually malware installed. The Dutch intelligence services and the NCSC consider it likely that the state-owned actor could potentially expand its access to hundreds of victims worldwide and has been able to carry out additional actions such as stealing data.โ€

Likewise, the Dutch statement said that โ€œit is likely that the state actor still has access to systems of a significant number of victims at the momentโ€ and that organizations should take measures to mitigate the possible fallout from that access.

The Netherlandsโ€™ original report, jointly published by the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service and the General Intelligence and Security Service, didnโ€™t clarify what information the hackers were trying to obtain.

Byย Andrew Thornebrooke

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting โ€“ period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

โ€˜This One Time, at Groomer Campโ€™

All Camp Brave Trails programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion.

News

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returns to US to Face Criminal Charges

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador, is on his way back to the US, where he will face criminal charges for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants.

White House Adviser Gives Update on DOGEโ€™s Future Amid Muskโ€“Trump Spat

A top White House adviser said DOGEโ€™s work will likely continue amid a spat between its former chief, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Dismantling of Education Department

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to allow it to resume dismantling U.S. Dept of Education, following a lower courtโ€™s previous order halting process.

FTC Warns of Rising Student Loan Scams, Says Fraudsters Took Millions From Borrowers

FTC is warning borrowers to steer clear of student loan debt-relief scams, after shutting down group of companies that allegedly charged millions in illegal fees and left customers worse off.

Walmartโ€™s Drone Delivery Coming to 5 More US Cities

Walmart is set to launch its drone delivery service in five more U.S. cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, the company.

Court Orders Trump Administration to Restore AmeriCorps Funding to States

Federal court ordered Trump admin to restore AmeriCorps funding to states. The ruling comes as part of a lawsuit filed by 24 states and DC.

Tax Deductions You Can Take Without Itemizing

Itโ€™s not always beneficial to itemize. With IRSโ€™s current standard deduction for 2025 most Americans who canโ€™t itemize go with standard deduction.

Bernard Kerik, NYPD Commissioner During 9/11 Attacks, Dies at 69

Bernard Kerik, a former New York City police commissioner who was hailed as a hero after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has died at 69, according NYPD.
spot_img

Related Articles