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https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/microsoft-china-cyberattacks-patch-aa25b2a8

A Failed Microsoft Security Patch Is the Latest Win for Chinese Hackers

The path to a worldwide hacking campaign began with a contest for cash and a free laptop

By

Robert McMillan

and

Dustin Volz

Pedestrians walking past a Microsoft store in New York City.
In response to a U.S. government report, Microsoft pledged to rededicate itself to protecting itself and its customers from bad actors. Photo: Adam Gray/Bloomberg News

Last year, Satya Nadella pledged to make security priority number one at Microsoft MSFT 0.99%increase; green up pointing triangle. A new hack involving China is showing just how difficult that can be.

The attack involves several versions of Microsoft’s SharePoint software that serve as a document storage platform for customers who don’t want to use the cloud. Microsoft released patches for a pair of SharePoint bugs earlier this month, but the fixes were quickly bypassed, allowing China-linked hackers to break into hundreds of organizations, according to security researchers.

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