Xu Zewei, accused of conducting cyberattacks for the Chinese government, has been extradited to the United States from Italy and is currently detained in Houston, Texas. If convicted, he faces a potential prison sentence exceeding ten years. U.S. prosecutors allege that Xu, along with co-conspirator Zhang Yu, targeted multiple U.S. universities in early 2020 to steal research concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pair is also linked to a broader campaign attributed to the Chinese-backed hacking group known as Hafnium, which exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange servers starting in March 2021. This operation reportedly affected over 60,000 entities across the United States, with more than 12,700 successfully hacked. Xu's connection to Shanghai Powerock Network was cited, a company accused of conducting hacking activities for the Chinese government.
Xu's legal representation in the U.S. confirmed his not guilty plea during a court appearance on Monday. The Justice Department announced his extradition following his arrest last year at the request of American authorities. The Chinese Embassy has not commented on the extradition or the allegations against Xu.