Google's hijackers captured by Google also targeted Android and Microsoft Windows, sources say

[ad_1]

<div _ngcontent-c15 = "" innerhtml = "

The unprecedented attack on Apple's iPhone revealed by Google this week was wider than the first thought. Several sources familiar with the situation said that Google's Android operating system and Microsoft Windows personal computers were also targeted by a campaign to infect computers and smartphones of the Uyghur ethnic group in China. The Chinese government has long targeted this community, especially in the Xinjiang region, where surveillance is ubiquitous.

Google's and Microsoft's operating systems were targeted via the same websites that launched the iPhone attacks, sources said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The targeting of Android and Windows is a sign that these attacks were part of a vast two-year effort that overtook Apple phones and infected much more than we had thought. One source suggested that attacks were being updated over time for different operating systems, as the Uighur community's use of technology had changed. Android and Windows are still the most used operating systems in the world. Both remain extremely attractive targets for hackers, be they government sponsored or criminals.

Neither Microsoft nor Google provided any comment at the time of publication. It is unclear whether Google knew or revealed that the sites were also targeting other operating systems. Apple has not yet released any statements about the attacks and has not commented on the latest developments.

Google told Apple which sites were targeted in February, according to a source close to Google, whose researchers revealed the attacks on August 29. But nobody has yet specified which Uighur interest sites had been used to launch malicious code on iPhones.

It's hard to know exactly what exploits Android and Windows were launched via the websites used to launch attacks on Apple's operating system. In the case of iOS piracy, exploits placed malicious software on the phone and could spy on a huge amount of data. This included encrypted texts WhatsApp, iMessage and Telegram, as well as live localization.

Sustained supervision in Xinjiang

The attacks appear to be part of a mass surveillance operation conducted on Uyghur civilians who are victims of various forms of persecution in Xinjiang. Surveillance cameras are scattered throughout the region and facial recognition is widespread.

"For years, the Chinese government has systematically targeted the Uyghur population for surveillance and imprisonment," said Cooper Quintin, chief technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

"These attacks are likely to spy on the Uyghur population in China, the Uyghur diaspora out of China and the people who sympathize with and may want to help the Uyghurs in their struggle for independence."

Quintin said Forbes it seemed like a "high-risk, high-reward campaign" that was trying to gather as much information as possible about possible Uighur sympathizers. A source said TechCrunch, who reported for the first time the targeting of Uyghurs, that it is likely that even those who were not part of the ethnic group were affected.

">

The unprecedented attack on Apple iPhones revealed by Google this week was wider than originally expected. Several sources familiar with the situation said that Google's Android operating system and Microsoft Windows personal computers were also targeted by a campaign to infect computers and smartphones of the Uyghur ethnic group in China. The Chinese government has long targeted this community, especially in the Xinjiang region, where surveillance is ubiquitous.

Google's and Microsoft's operating systems were targeted via the same websites that launched the iPhone attacks, sources said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The targeting of Android and Windows is a sign that these attacks were part of a vast two-year effort that overtook Apple phones and infected much more than we had thought. One source suggested that attacks were being updated over time for different operating systems, as the Uighur community's use of technology had changed. Android and Windows are still the most used operating systems in the world. Both remain extremely attractive targets for hackers, be they government sponsored or criminals.

Neither Microsoft nor Google provided any comment at the time of publication. It is unclear whether Google knew or revealed that the sites were also targeting other operating systems. Apple has not yet released any statements about the attacks and has not commented on the latest developments.

Google told Apple which sites were targeted in February, according to a source close to Google, whose researchers revealed the attacks on August 29. But nobody has yet specified which Uighur interest sites had been used to launch malicious code on iPhones.

It's hard to know exactly what exploits Android and Windows were launched via the websites used to launch attacks on Apple's operating system. In the case of iOS piracy, exploits placed malicious software on the phone and could spy on a huge amount of data. This included encrypted texts WhatsApp, iMessage and Telegram, as well as live localization.

Sustained supervision in Xinjiang

The attacks appear to be part of a mass surveillance operation conducted on Uyghur civilians who are victims of various forms of persecution in Xinjiang. Surveillance cameras are scattered throughout the region and facial recognition is widespread.

"For years, the Chinese government has systematically targeted the Uyghur population for surveillance and imprisonment," said Cooper Quintin, senior technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

"These attacks are likely to spy on the Uyghur population in China, the Uyghur diaspora out of China and the people who sympathize with and may want to help the Uyghurs in their struggle for independence."

Quintin said Forbes it seemed like a "high-risk, high-reward campaign" that was trying to gather as much information as possible about possible Uighur sympathizers. One source told TechCrunch, who reported for the first time targeting Uighurs, that it is likely that even those who were not part of the ethnic group were affected.