Targeted Covid-19 research: Chinese state-sponsored hacker arrested by FBI after Italy extradition

A suspected Chinese state-linked hacker accused of targeting Covid-19 research has been brought to US after being extradited from Italy.34-year-old Xu Zewei appeared in a federal court in Houston after being transferred from Italy over the weekend. According to US Department of Justice (DOJ), he faces a nine-count indictment tied to computer intrusions carried out between February 2020 and June 2021.Prosecutors allege Xu was part of a state-backed hacking network linked to China’s intelligence services. Court documents say he acted under the direction of officers from the ministry of state security’s Shanghai bureau, targeting American universities and researchers during the height of the pandemic. He accessed sensitive email accounts belonging to immunologists and virologists working on vaccines, treatment and testing.Xu also played a role in the global cyber campaign known as HAFNIUM, which exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange servers. The operation compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including more than 12,000 systems in US. Hackers allegedly installed tools that allowed them to maintain remote access and extract sensitive data, including information linked to US policymakers.Xu was arrested in Milan last year at the request of US authorities. Italian police described him as “a dangerous foreign hacker” before handing him over following approval from a top court. His extradition was carried out with support from Italian law enforcement agencies.In a separate post on X, Kash Patel said, “The FBI and our great partners have arrested Xu Zewei – a PRC national and state-sponsored hacker – allegedly responsible for a massive cyber intrusion campaign in 2020 and 2021 stealing COVID-19 research from American institutions.”He added, “This case is a historic win for our cybersecurity efforts under President Trump, bringing bad actors who target American infrastructure to justice no matter where they try to hide.”Xu has been charged with offences including wire fraud, computer intrusion and identity theft, which together carry significant prison terms if he is convicted. His co-conspirator, Zhang Yu, remains at large.