U.S. scrambles to unearth Chinese malware planted in key infrastructure, fears of ‘ticking time bomb’

AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File

U.S. officials are combing through American infrastructure for concealed malware, believed to have been installed by Chinese hackers, aiming to cause havoc to US military operations if China were to instigate an attack on Taiwan.

The destructive computer code, which had infiltrated the US systems more than a year ago but was only detected by Microsoft in May, has been a particular cause for concern as it deviates from the conventional purpose of espionage, focusing less on information gathering. Both Microsoft and the US government have identified the source of the malware as China, Fox News reported.

Buried "deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world," the malware has infected systems critical to not only the US military but also to American citizens and the national economy, as reported by the New York Times.

While the operation to eradicate the malware has been ongoing for several months, officials are yet to determine the full extent of its spread.

The Times reported that officials believe there were two potential objectives when China infected utility infrastructures that "serve both civilian populations and nearby military bases." As of now, the malware hasn't been identified within classified systems.

Characterizing the malware as a "ticking time bomb," officials told the Times, it "raises the question of what, exactly, they are preparing for."

As per the report, officials are proceeding with caution when determining how to remove the malware. Any overt action from the US could inadvertently alert China about what the US can and cannot detect. This could potentially give Chinese hackers the opportunity to modify their cyberattacks aimed at US systems, implementing more advanced software that could be harder to discover.