Nikkei Warns of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force Used USB Drives Infected with a China-linked Malware

Counterfeit USB drives distributed during 2024 earthquake relief operations infected JGSDF systems with malware that evaded detection and operated for nearly a year; investigators found the strain matched one linked to a China-backed hacking group, over 50 machines (including those handling classified troop movement information) were exposed, and the JGSDF kept the incident largely internal while similar infected drives spread through civilian institutions.