Chinese National Extradited to US for Alleged Cyberattacks on Universities
Xu Zewei, a Chinese national, has been extradited from Italy to the United States, where he faces charges related to multiple cyberattacks. The Department of Justice accuses Xu of being part of a state-sponsored hacking group known as Silk Typhoon, which allegedly conducted cyberattacks on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security. These attacks targeted U.S. universities and researchers involved in COVID-19 research. Xu and his co-conspirators reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server to gain unauthorized access to systems, deploying web shells for remote access. Xu appeared in a Houston court, facing charges including wire fraud, computer hacking, and identity theft.