The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in cooperation with French law enforcement and security partners, has successfully removed malware from thousands of computers worldwide, including home computers in the United States. The malware, known as “PlugX,” was linked to Chinese government-backed hackers, specifically a hacking group called Mustang Panda, which used the malware to control and steal information from unsuspecting victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced on Tuesday that the Chinese government had paid Mustang Panda to develop a specific version of the PlugX malware. The group used this malware to target various entities, including European shipping companies, European governments, Chinese dissident groups, and governments in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, in a statement, described the hack as a “wide-ranging” and “long-term infection” that impacted thousands of Windows computers, including home computers in the U.S. Romero emphasized that the attack showcased the “recklessness and aggressiveness” of state-sponsored hackers from the People’s Republic of China. FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs confirmed that the FBI had identified thousands of infected U.S. computers and had worked to delete the Chinese malware from these devices.
