FBI extradites Chinese hacker accused of stealing COVID-19 research

A Chinese hacker accused of stealing COVID-19 probe from U.S. institutions successful a monolithic cyberattack has been extradited to American soil. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said the lawsuit involving Xu Zewei is simply a "historic triumph for our cybersecurity efforts nether President Trump, bringing atrocious actors who people American infrastructure to justness nary substance wherever they effort to hide." 

Patel said Xu, a Chinese nationalist and accused state-sponsored hacker, is "allegedly liable for a monolithic cyber intrusion run successful 2020 and 2021 stealing COVID-19 probe from American institutions." 

"Xu has been extradited to the U.S. retired of Italy arsenic of this weekend, and helium volition present look national charges," Patel revealed Tuesday successful a station connected X.

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FBI Director Kash Patel said Xu Zewei is "a PRC nationalist and state-sponsored hacker allegedly liable for a monolithic cyber intrusion run successful 2020 and 2021 stealing COVID-19 probe from American institutions." (FBI)

"During 2020 and 2021, astatine the tallness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted and hacked U.S. based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting COVID-19 probe -- including cardinal attraction and vaccines -- accessing email accounts and more," Patel said. 

The Justice Department said Xu is facing 9 charges, including 2 counts of ligament fraud, 2 counts of obtaining accusation by unauthorized entree to protected computers and aggravated individuality theft. The ligament fraud charges transportation a maximum punishment of 20 years successful situation for each count.

"According to tribunal documents, officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) directed Xu to behaviour this hacking. The MSS and SSSB are PRC quality services liable for PRC’s home counterintelligence, non-military overseas intelligence, and aspects of the PRC’s governmental and home security," the Justice Department said.

"Xu and others reported their activities to officers successful the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities," the Justice Department added. "For example, connected oregon astir Feb. 19, 2020, Xu provided an SSSB serviceman with confirmation that helium had compromised the web of a probe assemblage located successful the Southern District of Texas. On oregon astir Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB serviceman directed Xu to people and entree circumstantial email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged successful COVID-19 probe for the university. Xu aboriginal confirmed for the SSSB serviceman that helium acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes."

FBI Director Kash Patel said connected Tuesday that "Xu has been extradited to the U.S. retired of Italy arsenic of this weekend, and helium volition present look national charges." (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

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Patel said that "Xu was besides allegedly a cardinal contractor [in] portion of what’s known arsenic HAFNIUM, a radical liable for a monolithic cyber intrusion run (directed by PRC officials) that compromised astir 13,000 U.S. organizations."

Patel thanked the FBI’s partners successful Italy, mentioning that Prefect Vittorio Pisani of the Italian National Police "worked with america nonstop" successful the probe to bring Xu into custody.

Patel said, "During 2020 and 2021, astatine the tallness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted and hacked U.S. based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting COVID-19 research." (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

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Fox News Digital has reached retired to attorneys representing Xu for comment.