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Chinese-linked hackers compromise ConnectWise, target hundreds in global attack, Microsoft says
Reuters • • business
Key Points:
- ConnectWise has contained affected application connections and is restoring services in controlled phases, but unauthorized access within individual customer tenants may still require separate review.
- The Chinese Embassy in Washington denied involvement, stating China opposes hacking and rejects accusations made under the pretext of cybersecurity issues.
- Microsoft identified the hackers as Storm-0940, who used an open-source AI-driven penetration testing tool called ARTEX to automate tasks such as reconnaissance and data exfiltration.
- The attack targeted a wide range of sectors including aerospace, defense, financial services, government, and technology, with Storm-0940 achieving privileged cloud persistence in many organizations despite most targeting attempts failing.
- ARTEX is a legitimate penetration testing framework that can be configured for autonomous operations, highlighting the sophisticated nature of the cyber campaign.
