The Biden administration is looking for malware that may jeopardise military and civilian power grids, communications systems, and water supplies, the New York Times reported.
The malware, which is believed to have been installed by Chinese hackers linked to the People's Liberation Army, could try to sabotage and delay any response by the U.S. military should China take action against Taiwan, according to U.S. officials, who spoke to the Times.
One congressional representative called the malware "a ticking time bomb" that might allow China to cut off communications, water, and power to military outposts.
The official also stated that the malware may have an equivalent impact on ordinary Americans' homes and companies.
The White House sent a statement last week in response to inquiries from the Times prior to the report's publication, but it avoided addressing China or the military bases specifically.
“The Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the United States from any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation systems, among others,” stated Adam Hodge, acting spokesperson for the National Security Council.
The report was published just two months after Microsoft revealed that the alleged Chinese hacking group Storm-0558 had gained access to email accounts belonging to approximately 25 organisations, including government agencies, in the United States in addition to official government email accounts in Western Europe.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta. Wang Yi brought up the Chinese cyber espionage attack that targeted emails from the U.S. government.
Chinese hackers are believed to have targeted email accounts at the State Department and other government organisations in May. They were found right before Blinken's trip to Beijing in June, and they included Gina Raimondo's account.
Since the normalisation of relations half a century ago, relations between the U.S. and China have never been worse. The two superpowers are at odds over Taiwan, access restrictions to high-tech semiconductor chips for China, and accusations of malicious online behaviour from both sides.
The U.S. frequently accuses Beijing of cyber attacks against its agencies and infrastructure, and earlier this year, in a high-profile incident, it shot down a bus-sized balloon off the coast of South Carolina.
