US Offers $10 Million Reward for Accused Hafnium Hacker Zhang Yu
Summary
The U.S. State Department is offering $10 million for information on Zhang Yu, accused of helping conduct Hafnium intrusions that stole data, including COVID-19 research, from U.S. universities and a law firm. Xu Zewei was extradited to the U.S.
Key points
- The State Department is offering $10 million for information on Zhang Yu’s whereabouts.
- U.S. officials accuse Zhang of working on behalf of the Chinese government through Shanghai Firetech.
- Prosecutors say Zhang and Xu Zewei participated in Hafnium intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.
- The alleged targets included U.S. universities and a law firm; stolen material reportedly included COVID-19 research.
- Xu was arrested in Italy in July 2025 and extradited to the United States in April.
- The indictment alleges the campaign compromised thousands of computers worldwide.
Article Details
- Event Type
- The U.S. State Department announced a $10 million reward for information on Zhang Yu, who is accused of involvement in the Hafnium hacking campaign.
- Impact
- Prosecutors allege that Zhang Yu and Xu Zewei conducted intrusions from February 2020 to June 2021, compromising thousands of computers and stealing data, including COVID-19 research, from U.S. universities and a law firm. Zhang remains at large; Xu Zewei was arrested in Italy and extradited to the United States.
People
Brett LeathermanAssistant director of the FBI’s cyber division; said HAFNIUM targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities and victimized more than 12,700.Xu ZeweiAccused alongside Zhang Yu of involvement in the intrusions; arrested in Italy in July 2025 and extradited to the United States in April.Zhang YuChinese national accused of helping carry out the Hafnium hacking campaign on behalf of the Chinese government.