A China-linked hacking group known as Salt Typhoon has reportedly breached email systems used by key U.S. congressional staff, raising fresh concerns about state-backed cyberespionage targeting the legislative branch.
The campaign, disclosed in a new report, is said to have focused on high-value committees that shape U.S. policy on China, foreign affairs, intelligence, and national security.
Breach of congressional email systems
According to the report, Salt Typhoon gained access to email accounts used by staff members on the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, as well as aides serving committees overseeing foreign affairs, intelligence, and the armed services.
The identities of the specific staffers affected have not been publicly disclosed, and it remains unclear whether lawmakers’ own mailboxes were directly compromised.
The intrusions were reportedly detected in December, underscoring that the activity may have remained undetected for some time before being discovered.
Such access could give attackers insights into internal deliberations, draft legislation, briefings, and communications related to U.S. strategy toward China and broader national security matters.
The report notes that Reuters was unable to independently verify the details of the breach, and U.S. authorities have so far been cautious in their public responses.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment, and the White House along with the offices of the affected committees did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, Liu Pengyu, dismissed the allegations as “unfounded speculation and accusations,” continuing Beijing’s pattern of denying involvement in cyberespionage campaigns attributed to Chinese state-linked actors.
U.S. officials, however, have long warned that congressional offices and their staff are prime targets for foreign intelligence services seeking sensitive political and policy information.
Salt Typhoon has previously been accused of large-scale espionage operations against U.S. targets, including campaigns aimed at collecting metadata on vast numbers of Americans’ telephone communications and intercepting conversations involving prominent officials.
The group is believed by U.S. authorities to operate on behalf of Chinese intelligence, although China has repeatedly denied any such links.
The new report comes against a broader backdrop of persistent intrusions inside Congress.
In late 2025, congressional offices were notified of a separate “cyber incident” that may have exposed communications between the Congressional Budget Office and Senate offices, and earlier reporting has tied other operations to actors linked to Vietnam.
In response to Salt Typhoon’s activities, the United States imposed sanctions early last year on alleged hacker Yin Kecheng and Chinese cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology.
U.S. authorities accused both of direct involvement in Salt Typhoon’s operations, signaling a willingness to use financial and legal tools against individuals and entities tied to foreign hacking campaigns.
According to the Reuters, The newly reported breach of congressional staff emails is likely to intensify calls in Washington for stronger protection of legislative IT infrastructure and deeper counterintelligence focus on foreign cyber operations targeting lawmakers and their aides.
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