China launches ‘raging cyber-espionage battle’ on Russia with new malware campaign, report claims

A CHINESE affiliated hacker group is targeting Russians using malware disguised as legitimate documents and downloads.

China’s actions against Russia is another twist in the complex relationship between the two countries.

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China and Russia share a 2,600 mile-long border last remarked in the early 2000s – the border has waxed and waned over a centuries of geographical and political evolution.

Presently, China has not condemned Russia’s military actions in Ukraine – but they are altering their cyber position in response to the matter.

The Register quoted a researcher who said “The war in Ukraine has prompted many countries to deploy their cyber capabilities to gain insight about global events, political machinations, and motivations. This desire for situational awareness often extends to collecting intelligence from allies and ‘friends.'”

The two frenemy nations have shared, messy feelings toward the United States as the West races to cripple Russia’s economy and stifle China’s growth.

The Chinese threat groups have infiltrated servers with a decoy document written in English.

If clicked, the decoy document installs three additional malicious files.

Part of the scheme is a malware initiative called PlugX that gives the hackers “access to the compromised host to extract sensitive system information, upload and download files, and execute a remote command shell,” according to the cybersecurity company that clocked China’s pivot in strategy.

Programs like PlugX are dubbed “remote access trojans” or RATs that give hackers unadulterated control of a device.

A trail of clues led researchers to the Chinese-affiliated hacker group responsible for the sting on Russia.

Researchers determined that the hacks against Russia are similarly designed to those that affected the Vatican in 2020.

Experts attribute both hacks to the same Chinese actors.

The global stage is fraught with tension as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin plan to travel to Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv.

China turning its cyber sights on its neighbor adds a new wrinkle to an already highly pressurized diplomatic situation.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk