Salt Typhoon’s Devastating Attack on US National Guard Networks

The Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Salt Typhoon has pulled off one of the most significant cyberattacks against US military infrastructure in recent years. Between March and December 2024, these sophisticated threat actors successfully infiltrated and maintained persistent access to a US state’s Army National Guard network for nearly nine months, collecting sensitive network configurations, administrator credentials, and communication data from National Guard units across all 50 states and at least four US territories.

This breach represents a serious escalation in cyber warfare tactics, demonstrating how nation-state actors can leverage compromised networks to map and potentially infiltrate broader military and civilian cybersecurity infrastructure. The attack’s scope extends far beyond a single state, creating vulnerabilities that could undermine the entire National Guard’s ability to protect critical infrastructure during times of crisis.

 Severity Assessment: A Critical National Security Threat

The Salt Typhoon breach of National Guard networks carries an extremely high severity rating due to multiple factors:

• Extended Dwell Time: The attackers maintained undetected access for nine consecutive months, providing ample time to study network architectures and identify additional targets
• Strategic Intelligence Value: The stolen data includes network diagrams, administrator credentials, and configuration files that serve as blueprints for attacking other military and government networks
• Cross-Network Impact: Access to one state’s National Guard network provided intelligence on counterpart networks in all other states and territories
• Critical Infrastructure Risk: In 14 states, National Guard units work directly with law enforcement fusion centers, potentially exposing civilian cybersecurity operations
• Operational Continuity Threat: The breach could compromise the National Guard’s ability to respond effectively during emergencies or national crises

Security experts have described this as a “serious escalation” that represents one of the most concerning developments in the ongoing cyber conflict between the US and China.

 How the Attack Was Executed

Salt Typhoon’s infiltration of National Guard networks demonstrates sophisticated attack methodologies that security teams must understand. The hackers executed a multi-stage operation that leveraged known vulnerabilities, advanced persistence techniques, and systematic intelligence gathering to maintain long-term access while avoiding detection.

• Initial Access Through Network Vulnerabilities: Exploited critical flaws in Cisco and Palo Alto Networks edge devices, including CVE-2018-0171 (Cisco IOS Smart Install vulnerability), CVE-2023-20198 (Cisco IOS XE web UI zero-day allowing unauthenticated access), CVE-2023-20273 (privilege escalation in IOS XE), and CVE-2024-3400 (Palo Alto Networks vulnerability)
• Lateral Movement and Network Mapping: Moved systematically through compromised systems to collect network topology data, administrator credentials, and detailed infrastructure diagrams
• Persistent Access Establishment: Deployed sophisticated mechanisms to maintain undetected presence for nine months while continuously gathering intelligence on network connections to other National Guard units
• Extensive Data Collection: Gathered over 1,400 network configuration files from approximately 70 US government and critical infrastructure entities across 12 different sectors between 2023 and 2024
• Cross-Network Intelligence Gathering: Used access to one state’s network to map and collect data on counterpart networks in all other US states and at least four territories

This methodical approach allowed Salt Typhoon to build a comprehensive intelligence picture of US military network infrastructure that could facilitate future attacks against related systems.

 The Threat Actor Behind the Breach

Salt Typhoon represents one of the most sophisticated cyber espionage operations attributed to the Chinese government. This advanced persistent threat group has demonstrated exceptional capabilities in maintaining long-term access to high-value targets while conducting extensive intelligence gathering operations across multiple sectors and geographic regions.

• State Sponsorship and Organization: Widely believed to be operated by China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country’s primary foreign intelligence service, with a well-organized structure featuring clear division of labor among specialized teams
• Historical Attack Pattern: Active since at least 2022 with previous high-profile breaches of major US telecommunications providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Lumen Technologies
• Advanced Technical Capabilities: Employs sophisticated tools including the Demodex Windows kernel-mode rootkit for persistent access and demonstrates advanced anti-forensic capabilities to evade detection
• Strategic Intelligence Objectives: Successfully intercepted law enforcement wiretaps and monitored communications from both Harris and Trump presidential campaigns during the 2024 election cycle
• Cross-Organizational Mobility: Notable ability to jump between organizations and maintain persistent access across different network environments for extended periods
• Global Operations Scope: Conducts attacks targeting different regions and industries through distinct specialized teams, highlighting the complexity and scale of their operations

Chinese officials have consistently denied involvement in Salt Typhoon operations, claiming the US has failed to provide conclusive evidence linking the group to the Chinese government, though cybersecurity experts and US intelligence agencies maintain high confidence in the attribution.

 Who Is at Risk

The Salt Typhoon breach creates vulnerabilities that extend far beyond the directly compromised National Guard network:

• All State National Guard Units: With configuration data from every state’s network, all 54 National Guard organizations face elevated risk of future compromise
• State and Local Government Agencies: The breach potentially exposed at least two state government agencies, with stored credentials providing access to additional government systems
• Law Enforcement Agencies: Fourteen states where National Guard units integrate with law enforcement fusion centers face potential intelligence sharing disruptions
• Critical Infrastructure Organizations: The stolen network diagrams and credentials could facilitate attacks against power grids, water systems, transportation networks, and communication infrastructure
• Defense Contractors: Organizations working with compromised National Guard units may face secondary attacks using stolen credentials and network intelligence
• Cybersecurity Service Providers: State-level cybersecurity partners and managed services providers supporting affected networks are at increased risk

The Department of Homeland Security specifically warned that this breach “could hamstring state-level cybersecurity partners’ ability to defend US critical infrastructure against PRC cyber campaigns in the event of a crisis or conflict.”

 Available Remediations and Defensive Measures

Organizations must implement comprehensive security measures to protect against sophisticated nation-state attacks like those conducted by Salt Typhoon. The attack demonstrates critical vulnerabilities in network infrastructure management and highlights the need for proactive security strategies that address both technical weaknesses and operational security gaps.

• Critical Patch Management: Immediately update all network edge devices, focusing on known vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS/IOS XE and Palo Alto Networks equipment that Salt Typhoon has previously exploited
• Administrative Interface Security: Disable unnecessary web-based management interfaces on networking equipment and implement strict access controls with multi-factor authentication for all administrative functions
• Advanced Network Monitoring: Deploy comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect GRE tunneling, unusual lateral movement, suspicious configuration changes, and command-and-control communications that indicate compromise
• Network Segmentation Implementation: Establish robust network segmentation to limit the impact of potential breaches and prevent attackers from accessing sensitive systems or moving laterally through the infrastructure
• Credential Security Enhancement: Review and rotate all administrative credentials, particularly for network infrastructure devices and systems connected to government or military networks, implementing privileged access management solutions
• Incident Response Preparation: Establish comprehensive incident response procedures specifically designed to handle advanced persistent threat scenarios with extended dwell times and sophisticated evasion techniques
• Zero-Trust Architecture: Consider implementing zero-trust network architectures with enhanced logging capabilities to improve detection of sophisticated attacks that may evade traditional security controls

Organizations should also prioritize security awareness training and establish threat intelligence sharing relationships to stay informed about evolving attack techniques and indicators of compromise associated with advanced persistent threat groups.

 How CinchOps Can Help Secure Your Business

The Salt Typhoon attack demonstrates that even the most critical government networks remain vulnerable to sophisticated nation-state actors. Your business faces similar threats from advanced attackers seeking to steal intellectual property, disrupt operations, or gain persistent access to your systems.

CinchOps provides comprehensive cybersecurity services specifically designed to protect against advanced persistent threats like Salt Typhoon:

• Proactive Vulnerability Management: CinchOps continuously monitor your network infrastructure for known vulnerabilities and ensure critical patches are applied before attackers can exploit them
• 24/7 Network Monitoring: Advanced threat detection systems identify suspicious activities, lateral movement, and command-and-control communications that indicate APT presence
• Incident Response Planning: Comprehensive response procedures help your organization quickly contain and remediate sophisticated attacks while preserving critical evidence
• Network Segmentation Design: Strategic network architecture limits attacker movement and protects your most sensitive systems from compromise
• Security Awareness Training: Employee education programs help your team recognize and report potential indicators of advanced attacks
• Managed Endpoint Detection and Response: Advanced monitoring solutions detect sophisticated malware and rootkits that traditional antivirus systems miss

Don’t wait for a devastating breach to expose your vulnerabilities. Contact CinchOps today to ensure your business is protected against the evolving threat of nation-state cyberattacks.

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