US Disrupts Chinese Hacking Operation Targeting Sensitive Government Agencies

The US government has disclosed that it has disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that targeted several sensitive government agencies, including the Justice Department, NASA, and the Federal Reserve. The hackers, who used platforms dubbed QScan and QTRouter, were linked to China's Ministry of State Security and its military, the People's Liberation Army.

The operation, which began in 2018, involved multiple hacking efforts over the years, including successful data theft from unnamed defense contractors, financial institutions, and universities in May 2024. The hackers also scanned for vulnerabilities and made unsuccessful attempts to access networks of the US Senate and a US hospital in March 2026.

According to the affidavit, not all their attempts were successful, with the hackers failing to gain access to NASA networks in August 2019 by targeting a virtual private network vulnerability. The hackers also carried out intrusions at three unnamed Energy Department laboratories, the National Institutes of Health, an unnamed HHS agency, and a US security device manufacturer.