Overview

• The Ministry of State Security published the accusation on its WeChat account on October 19, describing operations against the China National Time Service Center in Xi'an.
• Officials allege the NSA leveraged a vulnerability in a foreign smartphone brand's messaging app to access employees' devices before moving into the center's networks.
• China says the attackers sought to target a high‑precision time system between August 2023 and June 2024, often operating during late‑night Beijing hours.
• The ministry reports use of virtual private servers in the United States, Europe and Asia to mask origins, with evidence of stolen data and credentials dating back to 2022.
• U.S. officials did not provide immediate comment, and the claim lands as Western agencies recently warned of Chinese cyber activity and as studies tally mounting economic damage from cyber incidents.