Chinese Hackers Infiltrate U.S. Telecom Systems in Unprecedented Security Breach

Hackers linked to the Chinese government, known as Salt Typhoon, deeply infiltrated U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, allowing them to intercept phone calls and text messages. This breach reportedly exploited systems used for wiretapping in criminal investigations and is described by Senator Mark Warner as “the worst telecom hack in our nation’s history.” The hack, initially revealed in October, remains unresolved, with hackers still embedded in U.S. systems.

Encrypted communications like Signal and iMessage were unaffected, but vulnerabilities in non-encrypted text messages allowed interception. The breach targeted fewer than 150 individuals, primarily in Washington, D.C., though the ripple effect likely impacted millions. Alarmingly, all major U.S. carriers—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—were affected, and fixing the problem may require replacing outdated infrastructure, some of which is unpatchable.

Investigators suspect the hackers focused on metadata and geolocation information, potentially compromising critical officials. The infiltration, which began over a year ago, highlights the fragility of America’s patchwork telecom networks. As Warner stressed, this represents a massive security failure with no straightforward solution.