Chinese hackers compromised 5 global telecom companies: Researchers

Chinese state-backed hacking groups compromised at least five global telecommunications companies and stole phone records and location data, according to cybersecurity researchers.

The hacking groups waged a campaign across Southeast Asia from 2017 to 2021, in some cases exploiting security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Corp.’s Exchange servers to gain access to telecommunication companies’ internal systems, according to a new report published Tuesday by US-based security firm Cybereason Inc.

Lior Div, the chief executive officer of Cybereason, said the hackers had obtained “the holy grail of espionage,” by gaining total control of the telecommunication networks they penetrated. Cybereason named the groups Soft Cell, Naikon and Group-3390.