Chinese Hackers Have Reportedly Managed To Bypass Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is something that many companies are recommending that users use. This is because it is a lot more secure compared to the traditional username and login combo, where an additional one-time password/code is generated to authenticate the user, meaning that even if your password is compromised, hackers still can’t get into your account.

This is because usually the one-time generated password is sent to the owner’s phone or a special dongle. However, according to a report from ZDNet, it appears that a hacking group from China known as APT20 has apparently managed to bypass two-factor authentication where they have managed to hack various systems spanning as many as 10 countries.

According to security company, Fox-IT, “We have identified victims of this actor in 10 countries, in government entities, managed service providers and across a wide variety of industries, including Energy, Health Care and High-Tech.” The affected countries include Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

That being said, it is unclear how the hacking group managed to bypass 2FA. Bypassing 2FA is not completely unheard of, but it is a rather sophisticated attack, which Fox-IT believes could have been done through “legitimate” channels such as VPNs.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: China, Hack, Security