Chinese hackers hit blue-chip firms through Forbes site

Chinese hackers exploited the Forbes website late last year in order to launch attacks on blue chip companies, The Financial Times reported, citing claims from the cyber security firm iSight Partners.  Attributed to Codoso, one of the most well known and best resourced hacker groups in China, the infection would have been passed to the computers of all visitors to Forbes between November 28 and December 1 through a loophole in the site’s ‘Thought for the Day’ pop-up screen and a further loophole in Microsoft operating systems. (Forbes says the vulnerability has now been closed, and Microsoft have released a security patch.) Victims reportedly included banks and a leading US arms manufacturer.