Google-backed security firm raises alarm, says Chinese hackers behind one of the biggest email hacking

Suspected state-backed Chinese hackers reportedly used a security hole in a popular email security appliance to break into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organizations globally, nearly a third of them government agencies including foreign ministries, the Google-backed cybersecurity company Mandiant said. The company termed it

broadest cyber espionage campaign known to be conducted by a China-nexus threat actor since the mass exploitation of Microsoft Exchange in early 2021.

In a blog post, Mandiant expressed “high confidence” that the group exploiting a software vulnerability in Barracuda Networks’ Email Security Gateway was engaged in “espionage activity in support of the People’s Republic of China.” It said the activity began as early as October 2022.