US Arrests Chinese Hacker Over Global COVID-19 Research Theft

Xu Zewei, a Chinese national linked to China's Ministry of State Security, was arrested in Italy on July 3, 2025, at the request of the U.S. government for orchestrating a state-sponsored cyber espionage campaign targeting critical COVID-19 research in American universities and medical institutions. Xu and his co-defendant Zhang Yu, who remains at large, are charged with multiple counts including wire fraud, unauthorized access to protected computers, and identity theft, related to cyber intrusions conducted between February 2020 and June 2021. The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange servers and targeted email accounts of virologists and immunologists to steal vaccine and treatment research, as part of a broader campaign known as HAFNIUM or Silk Typhoon. The U.S. Department of Justice described these attacks as not only violations of intellectual property rights but also assaults on American scientific innovation, with over 12,700 U.S. entities victimized. Xu's arrest marks a significant milestone as one of the first captures of Chinese intelligence-linked hackers by the FBI, underscoring ongoing concerns about state-sponsored cyber threats to U.S. infrastructure and research. Authorities are currently awaiting Xu's extradition to the U.S. to face prosecution.