FBI Suspects China-Linked Hackers Accessed Officials’ Call Logs and Text Messages, Report Says

Late last week, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) they were investigating “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors associated with the People’s Republic of China.” at the same time, The New York Times that phones used by Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and Kamala Harris’ campaign headquarters were among the targets, though it was unclear what data the group may have accessed.

now, The New York Times has about the scale of the hack, which is reportedly linked to a Chinese group known as Salt Typhoon. According to The Times, Aides to President Joe Biden and members of the Trump family have also been targeted, in addition to diplomats and other government officials. What’s even more concerning is what the hackers were able to access. From the report:

FBI investigators believe the hackers may have accessed unencrypted text messages on the targeted devices as well as call logs, according to people familiar with the investigation. They also said there was evidence to indicate that audio communications had been intercepted, although it was not immediately clear whether that meant voicemails or phone conversations.

CISA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency announced last week in a joint statement from the FBI that the investigation is “ongoing” and that the affected companies and other potential victims have been notified. At least 10 companies were reportedly affected, including Verizon and AT&T The Washington Post. An AT&T representative declined to comment. Verizon did not immediately respond to questions, but The Times The company was “aware that a highly skilled nation-state actor has reportedly targeted several US telecommunications providers for intelligence gathering.”