Technology

U.S. officials seize cyber tools linked to Chinese state hackers

Federal authorities disabled scanning and phishing programs used to target international critical infrastructure

Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 00:47 UTC2 reports

The short version

The FBI and Justice Department seized and disabled two hacking tools, dubbed Microscan and FishHub, used in cyber operations.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Authorities attributed the software to Integrity Technology Group, a Chinese firm linked by U.S. officials to the Flax Typhoon hacking group.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The software targeted entities including an unnamed U.S. power provider, airports in Poland and Japan, and infrastructure in Taiwan.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Law enforcement officials said they will watch whether the group attempts to rebuild its disrupted technical infrastructure.[Associated Press]

The FBI and the Justice Department announced the seizure of the scanning and phishing tools 'Microscan' and 'FishHub'.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The operation rendered the seized hacking tools completely inoperable.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The tools targeted an unnamed U.S. power company, airports in Japan and Poland, Taiwanese universities and critical infrastructure, and an international NGO.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Authorities identified the operator as Integrity Technology Group, a Chinese firm the FBI links to the state-associated Flax Typhoon campaign.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The disruption follows a September 2024 operation against a Flax Typhoon botnet that infected over 200,000 consumer devices.[Associated Press · ABC News]

It remains to be seen whether Integrity Technology Group will be able to reconstitute its operational infrastructure or continue activities in China following the seizure.[Associated Press]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.