Chinese Hackers Exploit Iran War to Target Maritime and Energy Firms
Chinese Hackers Exploit Iran War to Target Maritime and Energy Firms
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/chinese-hackers-exploit-iran-war/
Publish Date: 2026-05-29 05:00:00
Source Domain: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
Hacking groups linked to China have exploited the war in the Middle East in attempts to compromise maritime and energy companies in the region, cybersecurity researchers at ESET have warned.
Published on May 28, the latest ESET APT Activity Report warned that nation-state backed APT groups are actively targeting geopolitical hotpots, especially the Gulf region, following US military operations against Iran.
Chinese espionage and hacking operations also continue to target organizations around the world, in line with Beijing’s interests.
This included targeting of government organizations in Central America and an attempted espionage campaign against an AI and robotics company in South Korea.
ESET noted that the latter aligns with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) interest in strategic technologies prioritized under its ‘Made in China 2025’ industrial development policy.
Hacks in Line With China’s Economic Interests
China has actively attempted to exploit instability in the Middle East, and ESET said that it has seen evidence of that China-aligned groups were being mobilized to improve Beijing’s visibility into maritime, energy and political developments in the region.
The report noted that China’s interest in the Middle East wasn’t limited to the Gulf, but that cyber operations have also actively targeted Syria. SteppeDriver, a China-linked APT group has targeted Syrian government networks.
ESET researchers suggest that this activity is linked to Chinese commercial interest in Syria’s reconstruction projects, as well as Beijing’s security concerns surrounding Uyghur fighters present in Syria.
The report also noted that during the coverage period of October 2025 to March 2026, Chinese espionage and hacking groups also took a significant interest in central and south America.
This included an operation by China-aligned APT FamousSparrow, which targeted a Venezuelan governmental entity connected to maritime affairs. Researchers noted…
