February 7, 2024 at 04:02AM
Chinese state-backed hackers targeted the Dutch armed forces’ computer network using a known critical security flaw in Fortinet FortiGate devices, resulting in the deployment of COATHANGER malware for persistent remote access. The Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service confirmed the breach, marking the first public attribution of a cyber espionage campaign to China by the Netherlands. (Word count: 49)
Based on the meeting notes provided, the key takeaways are:
– Chinese state-backed hackers breached a computer network used by the Dutch armed forces by exploiting a critical security flaw in Fortinet FortiGate devices.
– The breach allowed the deployment of a backdoor malware called COATHANGER, which provided persistent remote access to the compromised appliances.
– COATHANGER is designed to be stealthy and persistent, able to hide itself and survive reboots and firmware upgrades.
– This marks the first time the Netherlands has publicly attributed a cyber espionage campaign to China.
– The breach is linked to a known vulnerability (CVE-2022-42475), and it comes in the wake of U.S. authorities dismantling a botnet used by Chinese threat actors.
– Previously, a China-based cyber espionage group had also exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in Fortinet appliances to deploy additional malware.
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