0day Attack: US Issues 'High-Alert' Warning on Using Microsoft After Alleged China Hack

Microsoft has recently reported that threat actors from China have attempted to hack its Mail Server Program using the Zero-Day exploit system and is led by state-sponsored HAFNIUM, as determined by the company. The United States has already issued an emergency warning to all federal agencies to download software to protect against the attack.

The good news is that Microsoft was able to detect the supposed attack that would have compromised its systems from the state-sponsored threat actors from China, and is now taking precautionary measures against it. However, the bad news is that the company faces a breach in their mail server program, which it now needs to fix and reconfigure.

The company now remains vigilant for any forms of attack, as the HAFNIUM are suspected to be working closely with China, and Microsoft says in "high confidence" that these threat actors are state-sponsored. Not only was Microsoft the target of the attack, rather, but it is also only one of the targets as different companies and organizations remain under surveillance from the hackers.

Microsoft Chinese Hack on Mail Servers: Not the Only One

According to the blogpost of Microsoft, the company was recently attacked by Chinese hackers, in an attempt to infiltrate its networks and systems, but is still studying the extent and severity of the attack. The company is also unsure as to what the purpose of the attack is, but is already convinced that it aims to compromise the systems of the companies.

Microsoft has determined that several vulnerabilities on its Mail Server Program were exploited, but the company has already identified them and has issued a temporary fix to prevent hackers to access these.

Currently, Microsoft is on the verge of fixing the program and determining the purpose of the threat actors but has already concluded that they are HAFNIUM, based on tactics and schemes.

According to Corporate Vice President for Security and Trust on Microsoft, Tom Burt, law firms, policy think tanks, NGOs, education institutions, and the like are also under attack from HAFNIUM. The company thinks that they are all subject to the same hack if it is not already occurring in the background of their servers or websites.

US Issues Emergency Warning for Federal Agencies

Following the Microsoft attack, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, has already issued an emergency warning for all federal agencies of the countries to remain on high alert. As Microsoft shared the attack, their tactics, and its identities, the United States has already prepared for the worst-case scenario.

However, that is not the only preparation is made, as it issued several updates for systems to avoid said hacks and block off the threat actors for when they attempt to access the websites or systems. The prep made by the country aims to protect its interests and integrity from the Chinese state-sponsored hackers that attempt malicious threats.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Alonzo