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Chinese hacking groups are behind SharePoint attacks, Microsoft says

Microsoft said it identified 2 groups as leveraging flaws in SharePoint software; China said it firmly opposes all forms of cyberattacks

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Microsoft has warned that hackers are actively targeting customers of its document management software SharePoint. Photo: Dreamstime / TNS

Microsoft accused Chinese state-sponsored hackers of using flaws in its SharePoint document management software in a hacking campaign that has targeted businesses and government agencies around the world.

In a blog post on Tuesday, the tech giant identified two groups supported by the Chinese government, Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon, as leveraging flaws in SharePoint software used by customers who managed it on their own networks, as opposed to in the cloud.

Another hacking group based in China, which Microsoft calls Storm-2603, also exploited the SharePoint vulnerabilities, according to the blog.

“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits is still ongoing,” Microsoft said. “With the rapid adoption of these exploits, Microsoft assesses with high confidence that threat actors will continue to integrate them into their attacks.”

In a statement, the Chinese embassy said China firmly opposes all forms of cyberattacks and cybercrime.

“At the same time, we also firmly oppose smearing others without solid evidence,” said the statement.

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