In a recent development, confidential documents divulging the hacking prowess of a Chinese contractor have been leaked, shedding light on the extensive cybersecurity threats posed by China’s communist regime.
The documents reveal that the contractor, known as I-Soon, is financially backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to Chiang Ya-chi, a tech expert and president of the Taiwan Law and Technology Association.
Chiang, who also teaches internet technology and intellectual property law at National Taiwan Ocean University, stated in an interview with The Epoch Times on February 21, “The I-Soon incident should once again remind everyone that network security is national security. There is a war without gunpowder, and it is happening in cyberspace.”
The leaked files indicate that the CCP leverages tools created by companies like I-Soon to infiltrate foreign governments and organizations. The documents disclose several products developed by I-Soon, including a tool referred to as a “Twitter (now X) stealer.”
This tool has the capability to access a Twitter user’s email and phone number, monitor activity in real-time, read personal messages, and even publish tweets on behalf of the user, as per the analysis of the documents. I-Soon claims to have researched Twitter’s safety mechanism extensively, which supposedly enables its product to evade security measures and target a Twitter user’s account.
Another product highlighted in the leaked documents is the “Custom Remote Access Trojans (RATs)” for Windows x64/x86 devices. This tool boasts features such as process/service/registry management, remote shell, keylogging, file access logging, obtaining system information, disconnecting remotely, and uninstallation.
There are also iOS and Android versions of this RAT. The iOS model purportedly supports all iOS device versions without jailbreaking, with features that include hardware information, GPS data, contacts, media files, and real-time audio records.
Alongside these tools, I-Soon also possesses portable devices designed to attack networks from within. Additionally, the company maintains a user lookup database, correlating user data such as phone numbers, names, and emails with social media accounts.
In essence, these revelations underscore the extent of China’s cyber warfare capabilities and its potential impact on global network security. As Chiang pointed out, this incident serves as a stark reminder that cybersecurity is indeed national security.
