Chinese hackers have reportedly found a way around widely used security standards on the Internet, putting millions of user accounts from top websites at risk.
According to a The New York Times report, hackers were able to break through technologies used to get around the country's strict online censorship, often referred to as the Great Firewall. That leaves millions in China with fewer options for browsing the web privately and without restriction.
The technologies that could be infiltrated include virtual private networks (VPNs), which can create and maintain encrypted connections to the internet, and Tor, a web browser that looks to keep users anonymous by hiding a user's IP address.
The hackers can now access the accounts of anyone logged into China's top 15 websites. That includes the search site Baidu, chat and email service QQ and e-commerce site Taobao, which is owned by Alibaba. It's not clear who the hackers were, but an expert told the publication that the sophistication of the attacks makes it likely that it was the Chinese government.
The hackers were able to get around security measures by initially avoiding them altogether. Instead of targeting networks or the Tor browser, they inserted malicious code into targeted websites. The code then infiltrates the user's browser. The vulnerability was actually discovered two years ago. It's up to the websites to remove the code by issuing a patch, something they've yet to do.
But representatives from Baidu and Alibaba, which owns Taobao, told The Times they would work quickly to issue a fix.