The Wall Street Journal reported, citing informed sources, that “a Chinese hacking operation led to the penetration of a larger number of American telecommunications companies than previously known,” including Charter Communications, Consolidated Communications, and Windstream.

The newspaper said, “The hackers also exploited unsecured devices from the Fortnite security company, and penetrated large network routers from Cisco Systems.”

According to the newspaper’s report, “In addition to the deep intrusions into AT&T and Verizon’s networks, hackers penetrated other networks belonging to Lumen Technologies and T-Mobile.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that the hackers "were also able to penetrate mobile phone lines used by dozens of senior national security and political officials in the United States," including some voice calls from US President-elect Donald Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, and people. Linked to the Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns.

China has been involved in such practices, and accused the United States of promoting misleading information.

The report added that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informed communications and technology officials in a secret meeting at the White House in the fall of 2023, that Chinese hackers had the ability to close dozens of American ports, energy networks, and other infrastructure.

The "Salt Typhoon" cyber espionage group, which Washington says is "linked to China," targeted AT&T and Verizon systems, while the two companies said last week in their first acknowledgment of the attacks, that the networks of American wireless carriers " "It is now safe" in light of cooperation with law enforcement and government officials.

Lumin said it no longer saw evidence of the attackers' presence in its network, and no customer data had been accessed. T-Mobile said it stopped recent attempts to infiltrate its systems and protected sensitive customer information.

Verizon told the newspaper that a small number of prominent customers in government and politics were specifically targeted by a threat actor, and that these people had been notified.

Vandana Venkatesh, Verizon's chief legal officer, said the company "contained activities related to this incident."

Previous reports said that the targets of "Salt Typhoon" included officials linked to the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.