China’s Salt Typhoon hackers targeting Cisco devices used by telcos, universities

Summary: The Salt Typhoon campaign continues to target telecommunications companies worldwide, successfully compromising Cisco network devices and accessing sensitive information. Recent research indicates that over 1,000 devices were attempted to be breached, with significant activity in the U.S., South America, and India. The campaign poses strategic intelligence threats as it enables hackers to monitor and disrupt critical communication networks.

Affected: Telecommunications companies and Cisco network devices

Keypoints :

• Salt Typhoon identified as a persistent threat targeting unpatched Cisco network devices.
• Exploited vulnerabilities include CVE-2023-20198 and CVE-2023-20273, allowing initial access and privilege escalation.
• Chinese threat actors have heightened focus on telecommunications infrastructure, indicating a strategic shift in cyber operations.