Microsoft probing if Chinese hackers learned SharePoint flaws through alert: Report

Microsoft is investigating whether a leak from its early alert system for cybersecurity companies allowed Chinese hackers to exploit flaws in its SharePoint service before they were patched, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

A security patch Microsoft released this month failed to fully fix a critical flaw in the U.S. tech giant’s SharePoint server software, opening the door to a sweeping global cyber espionage effort.

In a blog post on Tuesday, Microsoft said two allegedly Chinese hacking groups, dubbed “Linen Typhoon” and “Violet Typhoon,” were exploiting the weaknesses, along with a third, also based in China.

The tech giant is probing if the program led to the widespread exploitation of vulnerabilities in its SharePoint software globally over the past several days, the report said.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.