Google says China-linked hackers hit Southeast Asia diplomats

Google says China-linked hackers hit Southeast Asia diplomats

Google's Threat Intelligence Group has disclosed that diplomats in Southeast Asia were targeted in a sophisticated cyber-espionage campaign earlier this year. The attacks, attributed to the China-linked UNC6384 group, employed social engineering tactics and malware disguised as innocuous software updates [1].

The UNC6384 group, which is linked to China but not yet categorized under another group, exploited Wi-Fi networks to dupe diplomats into downloading malware. The malware, known as SOGU.SEC, was installed in the memory of devices to avoid detection, according to Patrick Whitsell, a senior security engineer at Google [1]. While Google did not specify the nationalities of the affected diplomats, Whitsell expressed high confidence that the attacker was "China-aligned" [1].

The campaign adds to the ongoing tension between the U.S. and China along cybersecurity lines. Microsoft Corp. had previously warned about Chinese state-sponsored hackers exploiting flaws in its software to infiltrate institutions globally [2]. Meanwhile, China has questioned the security of Nvidia Corp.'s H20 AI chips designed for China [1].

Microsoft has scaled back some Chinese companies' access to its early warning system for cybersecurity vulnerabilities following recent hacking attempts against its SharePoint servers. The company suspects that a rogue member of the Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) may have misused information about vulnerabilities to facilitate the attacks [2].

These incidents underscore the escalating cybersecurity threats and the need for robust defenses against state-sponsored hacking activities. As governments and corporations worldwide grapple with these challenges, the financial implications for cybersecurity investments and strategic partnerships are likely to increase.

References:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-25/china-linked-hackers-hit-southeast-asia-diplomats-google-says
[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/microsoft-scales-back-chinese-access-224927612.html