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The United States on Wednesday said it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that targeted sensitive government networks, including those of the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the US Senate.

The Justice Department said it had seized domains linked to two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, which authorities said were used in the broader cyber campaign.

According to an affidavit, the hackers also targeted the Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and four unnamed companies in the US and South Korea.

China Rejects US Cyberattack Claims

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said they were not familiar with the specific allegations outlined by the Justice Department but stressed that the Chinese government "firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law."

The spokesperson accused the US of using cybersecurity concerns to "smear or discredit China" and said Beijing opposed Washington's use of national security as a justification for imposing what it called discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies. China, the spokesperson added, would protect the legitimate rights and interests of its companies.

The Justice Department said the hacking platforms were operated by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, a China-based firm whose clients allegedly included China's Ministry of State Security, the country's civilian intelligence agency, and the People's Liberation Army.

Nanjing Xinjiuwei did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside normal business hours.

Hacking Campaign Dates Back To 2018

The affidavit said hackers had used tools developed by the operation to target critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks in the US and elsewhere since at least 2018.

Not every attempt was successful. In August 2019, for instance, the hackers tried to access NASA networks by exploiting a vulnerability in a virtual private network but failed to gain entry.

The campaign continued in later years. In September 2024, the hackers reportedly breached three unnamed Energy Department laboratories, the NIH, an unnamed HHS agency and a US manufacturer of security devices, according to the affidavit.

FBI, NSA Detail Years Of Cyber Activity

A joint cybersecurity advisory issued by the FBI, NSA and US Cyber Command's Cyber National Mission Force outlined several hacking efforts attributed to the operation over the years.

Among the incidents was the successful theft of data from unnamed defence contractors, financial institutions and universities in May 2024, according to the advisory.

More recently, the hackers scanned for vulnerabilities and made unsuccessful attempts to access networks belonging to the US Senate and a US hospital in March 2026.