FBI Seizes Hacking Tools Officials Link To China

Court records and officials describe a broader target list and the effort behind the seizures.

October 11th, 2026 • Reading Time: 1 minute

The FBI has struck at hacking tools aimed at critical networks. DOJ, Office of Public Affairs, announced October 8 that court-authorized seizures targeted two tools, Microscan and FishHub, that officials say were used to scan and, in some cases, hack U.S. and foreign networks.

According to the department’s account of unsealed court documents, actors working for China-based Integrity Technology Group operated the tools. Microscan searched networks for weaknesses. FishHub allegedly helped attackers break into networks through targeted phishing. A South Carolina power company and airports in Japan and Poland appeared on DOJ’s scanning target list.

The Associated Press, carried by ABC News, reports that the operation rendered the tools inoperable, according to FBI and Justice Department officials. That is the officials’ assessment, not proof the broader threat has ended. The report says the FBI will keep watching for efforts to rebuild the company’s infrastructure.

The FBI and partner agencies also published a cybersecurity advisory. DOJ says it contains signs of intrusion to help network defenders spot and respond to malicious activity. The immediate result is a disruption of tools officials link to China. The continuing test is whether the hackers can rebuild their operation.

DOJ’s scanning target list also includes a multinational nongovernmental organization, Taiwanese natural gas and power companies, and two Taiwanese universities. Those entries describe networks searched for weaknesses, not a finding that each was breached. The department said the court documents were unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

DOJ identified Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McKenna and National Security Division Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery as the prosecutors handling the case. The department also credited Japan’s National Police Agency with substantial assistance. In the Associated Press report, FBI Cyber Division Deputy Assistant Director Jason Bilnoski described a strategy aimed at removing hackers’ capabilities by targeting their infrastructure, money and tools.

Why it matters

Power companies and airports were among the scanning targets.

Disabling these tools does not establish that every targeted network is secure.