Italy extradites Chinese hacker accused of targeting COVID research

A cyber case that began at the height of the pandemic has now moved into a US courtroom, underscoring how COVID-era research became a geopolitical and intelligence target.

Italian authorities have extradited a Chinese national accused by the United States of hacking into institutions working on COVID-19 research. The suspect, described by Italian police as a “dangerous foreign hacker”, was arrested in Milan last July and handed over to US officials earlier this week.

According to Italian investigators, the case is tied to a broader cyber-espionage campaign known as “Hafnium”, in which attackers allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in email software to access thousands of systems worldwide. The targets were not random. They included universities, immunologists and virologists working on pandemic-related research, as well as legal institutions with international reach.

US prosecutors say the suspect, Xu Zewei, 34, carried out the attacks under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security while working for Shanghai Powerock Network, a company described as playing an “enabling” role in the operation. Among the institutions targeted were a university in southern Texas and a Washington, DC-based law firm.

Xu appeared in federal court in Houston on Monday, where he faces nine criminal charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy to obtain information by unauthorised access to protected computers. If convicted on the most serious counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison per charge.

For US officials, the case fits into a broader effort to signal that cyberattacks on research institutions — particularly during moments of global crisis — will be pursued across borders and over time.

“The United States is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from US businesses and universities and threaten our cybersecurity,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said in a statement.

“I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court,” Eisenberg said.

The Chinese government has not commented directly on the extradition. Beijing has previously rejected allegations of state-linked hacking, calling them “groundless accusations” and “smears”.

Xu’s legal team has not publicly responded to the charges.