US Corrects Claim: Chinese Hackers Targeted but Did Not Breach Agencies

The U.S. Department of Justice has revised statements made last month to clarify that several government agencies were targeted but not successfully breached by a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group.

In a corrected press release issued Friday, the Justice Department acknowledged that the Senate, Federal Reserve, NASA and other agencies were among the targets of the hacking group known as QTFY. Earlier statements had suggested these entities were victims of successful breaches.

A footnote in the revised release explained that edits were made to align the press release with the government’s allegations outlined in an accompanying affidavit. The August 26 statement had inaccurately described all listed agencies as victims, while the affidavit specified that only some were compromised despite all being targeted.

The distinction narrows the scope of confirmed cyber intrusions. According to the FBI affidavit, QTFY has targeted U.S. federal networks since at least 2018. Affected or attempted targets include NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Senate.

The affidavit notes that NASA thwarted an attempted breach in 2024 due to timely software updates. It also confirms successful intrusions in September 2024 at three DOE National Laboratories, NIH, an HHS agency and a U.S. security device manufacturer, which are classified as victims.

A joint advisory published Wednesday by the FBI, National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force reported successful data thefts in May 2024 from unnamed defense contractors, financial institutions and universities. The advisory also documented unsuccessful attempts in March 2026 to access networks belonging to the U.S. Senate and a hospital.

Requests for comment from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were not immediately returned.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a previous response to the Wednesday announcement, a spokesperson stated that the U.S. uses cybersecurity claims to “smear or discredit China,” adding that China opposes the use of national security as a pretext to restrict Chinese companies and will defend their legitimate rights.