ProPublica investigations reveal Chinese engineering teams provided technical support for Microsoft SharePoint software during last month's major security incident. State-sponsored hackers from China exploited vulnerabilities to install backdoor access on corporate servers. The attack targeted SharePoint versions dating back to 2016 and compromised multiple US federal government networks.
Microsoft confirmed the existence of China-based support staff after initially omitting this detail from public breach notifications. Company officials stated these teams operated under American supervision and followed standard security protocols. The technology giant has begun relocating these operations to alternative geographic locations.
The breach affected SharePoint OnPrem software, which organizations use to establish internal computer networks. Attackers gained administrative control over servers and planted unauthorized programs for future access. The National Nuclear Security Administration experienced targeting, though the Department of Energy characterized the overall impact as limited. This incident occurred exactly one year after the widespread Crowdstrike system failure that disrupted global operations.
Microsoft confirmed the existence of China-based support staff after initially omitting this detail from public breach notifications. Company officials stated these teams operated under American supervision and followed standard security protocols. The technology giant has begun relocating these operations to alternative geographic locations.
The breach affected SharePoint OnPrem software, which organizations use to establish internal computer networks. Attackers gained administrative control over servers and planted unauthorized programs for future access. The National Nuclear Security Administration experienced targeting, though the Department of Energy characterized the overall impact as limited. This incident occurred exactly one year after the widespread Crowdstrike system failure that disrupted global operations.
