Beijing accuses the United States of waging a cyber campaign targeting its national timing network

China’s intelligence agency has accused the US National Security Agency (NSA) of hacking its national time service, alleging a cyberespionage campaign which targeted Beijing’s official timekeeping system – a backbone of China’s telecommunications, financial and defense sectors.

The Department of State Security claimed the NSA began the operation in 2022 by exploiting a text messaging vulnerability to take control of the cell phones of National Time Service Center employees, then used stolen credentials to access servers and plant secret tools. The alleged breach, if proven, could have allowed attackers to tamper with national timekeeping – a move that experts say could disrupt communications, banking and satellite navigation across China.

The NSA said in a statement that it “neither confirms nor denies media allegations regarding its operations. Our primary goal is to counter malicious foreign activities that consistently target U.S. interests, and we will continue to defend ourselves against adversaries who wish to threaten us.”

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China’s intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, said the intrusion began in 2022 when the US National Security Agency (NSA) allegedly exploited a vulnerability in a mobile text messaging service. (Getty Images)

Chinese investigators say the hackers deployed 42 “specialized cyberattack weapons” to implant sabotage capabilities.

The attackers allegedly forged digital certificates, bypassed antivirus software, and used strong encryption to erase traces to conceal their activity. Tampering with the National Time Service could disrupt financial transactions, communications and satellite timing.

Chinese National Security Agency said it countered the operation by cutting the attack chain and improving defenses.

Beijing’s statement claims that in recent years, the United States has continued its “cyber hegemony,” launching hacking operations against China and across the world.

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For years, U.S. officials have argued that the United States must go on the offensive by launching cyberattacks to counter Chinese cyber campaigns. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, file)

But for years, U.S. officials have said their country needs to take a more offensive approach to cyberespionage, given China’s frequent intrusions into U.S. systems.

In a press release, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said China “poses the most active and persistent cyber threat to the U.S. government, private sector, and critical infrastructure networks.”

US intelligence and cybersecurity companies have repeatedly attributed massive data theft campaigns – from the Microsoft Sharepoint breach to Operation Salt Typhoon – to groups linked to the Chinese state. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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This latest claim comes amid years of mutual accusations of state-sponsored cyberactivity between the world’s two biggest powers. Beijing has frequently accused the United States of hacking Chinese systems, while American intelligence services and private cybersecurity companies have repeatedly attributed massive data theft campaigns – from the Microsoft Sharepoint flaw to Operation Salt Typhoon – to groups linked to the Chinese state.

In April, Chinese authorities accuse the NSA to launch attacks against networks linked to the Asian Winter Games organized in February.