China blames overseas hacking attack for internet problems on foreign websites
'Contaminated' servers redirect social media users from cnn.com and games website runescape.com to a software website wpkg.org and travel website ptraveler.com
A hacking attack using malware from overseas servers was to blame for internet problems in China earlier this week that prevented users accessing a number of popular foreign websites, an official state-run newspaper said on Friday.
Social media users first reported on Sunday that they were being sent to a software website, wpkg.org and travel website ptraveler.com, when trying to access websites such as the news website cnn.com, news portal yahoo.co.jp and games website runescape.com.
The incident was the latest in a series of challenges that businesses and individuals have faced while using the internet in the world’s second-largest economy.
The English-language China Daily, citing the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team Coordination Centre – an agency that monitors China’s internet safety – said the redirection happened because some servers in China were “contaminated” by malware from overseas servers.
“Experts said it will be difficult to trace the source of the attack because it is technically possible to carry it out by remotely controlling the servers,” the newspaper said.
“No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack,” it said.