Washington DC [US], October 30 : Former US President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump and son-in-law, Jared Kushner are being targeted by Chinese government-linked hackers as part of a large-scale 'cyber-espionage campaign' affecting senior leaders in both the Republican and Democratic parties, as suspected by US officials, CNN reported.
This report comes just days before the US election scheduled on November 5.
CNN reported, citing sources, that the hackers are targeting calls and text data of Eric Trump and Jared Kushner and dozens of individuals may be affected by the hackers.
Other targets include former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and individuals associated with the Harris-Walz campaign.
Additionally, prominent Democrats, including the staff of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have also been targeted.
The extent of the hack was described as "way worse than the public knows," and officials are still investigating its full impact, according to CNN, citing sources familiar with the intelligence.
In some instances, the hackers may have accessed the call and text data of their targets for several months. The FBI is actively notifying those affected, the report added.
Notably, the New York Times was the first to report that Eric Trump and Kushner were specifically targeted.
US officials investigating the hacking campaign, which involved intrusions at US telecom firms AT&T, Lumen, and Verizon, consider it to be one of the most concerning national security-related hacks in recent memory--more serious than initial reports suggested, as reported by CNN.
US officials consider this hacking campaign--originating from breaches at telecom firms AT&T, Lumen, and Verizon--to be one of the most concerning national security hacks in recent history, more serious than earlier reports suggested.
The timing of these revelations coincides with a critical FBI investigation into the hacking affecting both the Trump and Harris campaigns, occurring just before an important election.
While the hackers do not seem to be trying to influence the election, as some Iranian hackers did earlier this year, they are seeking to gather intelligence on the private communications of key officials from both parties, which would be of particular interest to Beijing.
Investigators also believe the hackers may be looking for other sensitive national security information, including details about wiretap warrant requests made by the Justice Department, according to CNN.