
Microsoft warns Chinese hackers targeting customers
Chinese state-sponsored hackers are actively exploiting critical security vulnerabilities in users of Microsoft's popular SharePoint servers to steal sensitive data and deploy malicious code, the US tech giant warned Tuesday.Microsoft said it has observed three threat groups—dubbed Linen Typhoon, Violet Typhoon, and Storm-2603targeting internet-facing SharePoint servers using two newly disclosed vulnerabilities that allow attackers to bypass authentication and execute remote code.SharePoint Server is Microsoft's collaboration and document management platform designed for businesses and organizations. Many large organizations use SharePoint as their primary platform for internal collaboration and for storing documents, and is appreciated for working well with other Microsoft products like Office, Teams, and Outlook. The attacks, which Microsoft said began as early as July 7, affect only on-premises SharePoint installations and do not impact the cloud-based SharePoint Online service, the company said in a security bulletin.
Microsoft warned that it 'assesses with high confidence' that the threat actors will continue their assault against vulnerable systems where companies haven't taken the necessary precautions.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Qatar Tribune
14 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
China vows to support tariff-hit companies as US talks left in limbo
Agencies China's top leaders on Wednesday promised support for companies hit by higher U.S. tariffs but stopped short of announcing major measures after this week's trade talks with Washington left businesses and policymakers in limbo. At their summer economic planning meeting, the powerful Politburo of the ruling Communist Party pledged to stabilize foreign trade and investment. 'We must assist foreign trade enterprises that have been severely impacted, strengthen financing support, and promote the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade,' the official Xinhua News Agency said in reporting the closed-door meeting. It mentioned export tax rebates and free trade pilot zones but gave no other specifics. The inconclusive outcome of two days of trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden, leaves open the question of higher tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said the two sides had agreed to work on extending the deadline for higher tariffs. The U.S. side said the extension was discussed, but not decided. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters after the talks that President Donald Trump would decide whether to extend the Aug. 12 deadline for reaching an agreement or to let tariffs that have been paused for 90 days to 'boomerang' back to a higher level. 'We haven't given the sign-off,' Bessent said, though he emphasized that the talks had been 'very constructive.' China remains one of the biggest challenges for the Trump administration after it has struck deals over elevated tariff rates with other key trading partners – including Britain, Japan and the European Union. Many analysts had expected that the Stockholm talks would result in an extension of current tariff levels, which currently stand at a U.S. tariff of 30% on Chinese goods and a Chinese tariff of 10% on U.S. products, far lower than the triple-digit percentage rates raised in April. The truce in the tariffs war to allow time for talks, agreed on in early May to allow time for negotiations, allowed exporters and other traders to ramp up shipments in hopes of beating any higher tariffs that might follow. The Politburo meeting, headed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, mostly reiterated Beijing's priorities for the year, including a need to 'unleash domestic demand,' which has lagged, leading to a surge of exports by industries unable to find growth at home. It also stressed the need to promote jobs and prevent a 'large-scale relapse into poverty.' The economy 'has demonstrated strong vitality and resilience,' the Xinhua report said. But it acknowledged many risks and challenges. That includes reining in brutal competition that has led to damaging price wars among automakers and some other manufacturers and managing excess capacity in some industries, it said. China's economy expanded at a 5.2% annual pace in the April-July period, slowing slightly from the previous quarter. But analysts have said actual growth may have been significantly slower. Even with the hiatus in higher tariffs, companies are feeling a pinch. Industrial profits in China fell 1.8% in the first half of the year and 4.3% in June, according to data released earlier this week. It's unclear what level of tariffs might eventually be imposed on Chinese exports to the United States. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday that Beijing hopes the U.S. side will follow through on the 'important consensus' reached between Trump and Xi in a phone call to promote stable relations between the world's two largest economies. But Guo reiterated China's stance on its U.S. objections to its purchases of oil and gas from Russia, which Bessent raised during the talks in Stockholm, threatening more tariffs. 'China will take reasonable measures to ensure energy security in accordance with its national interests,' Guo said. 'There are no winners in a tariff war. Coercion and pressure will not solve the problem. China will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.'


Qatar Tribune
14 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
US, China end ‘constructive' trade talks, Trump to decide on truce
Agencies U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to seek an extension of their 90-day tariff truce on Tuesday as they wrapped up two days of what both sides described as 'constructive' talks in Stockholm – aimed at defusing an escalating trade war between the world's two biggest economies that threatens global growth. No major breakthroughs were announced, and U.S. officials said it was up to President Donald Trump to decide whether to extend a trade truce that expires on Aug. 12 or potentially let tariffs shoot back up to triple-digit figures. But U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tamped down any expectation of Trump rejecting the extension. 'The meetings were very constructive,' Bessent told reporters after the meetings wrapped up. 'It's just that we haven't given the signoff.' As Trump returned to Washington after visiting Scotland, where he inked a trade deal with the European Union, he said Bessent had just briefed him on the China talks. 'He felt very good about the meeting, better than he felt yesterday,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. After months of threatening high tariffs on trading partners, Trump has secured trade pacts with the EU, Japan, Indonesia and others, but China's powerhouse economy and grip on global rare earth flows make these talks particularly complex. Both sides in May walked back from imposing triple-digit tariffs on each other in what would have amounted to a bilateral trade embargo. But global supply chains and financial markets could face renewed turmoil without an agreement. Bessent told reporters he expects to meet with Trump on Wednesday after both have returned to Washington, and the president would have the final say on any extension. Another 90-day extension is one option, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer added. 'We had constructive meetings for sure, to go back with the positive report. But the extension of the pause, he'll decide,' Greer said after talks at Rosenbad, the Swedish prime minister's office in central Stockholm. Bessent said there would likely be another meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials in about 90 days, and the agreements on the flow of Chinese rare earths were becoming more refined after previous talks in Geneva and London. 'There was good personal interaction being built up, good, mutual respect. I think we understand their agenda much better,' he said. Underlining the stakes, the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday raised its global growth forecast but flagged a potential rebound in tariff rates as a major risk. China's top trade negotiator Li Chenggang said both sides fully recognized the importance of maintaining a stable and sound economic and trade relationship. 'The Chinese and U.S. economic and trade teams will maintain active communication, exchange views on economic and trade issues in a timely manner, and continue to promote the stable and healthy development of bilateral economic and trade relations,' said Li. The talks could pave the way for a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the year, though Trump denied going out of his way to seek one and U.S. officials said the topic was not discussed. Aboard Air Force One, Trump said he thinks he will meet with Xi before the end of the year, though he did not elaborate. The Stockholm meetings also included a lengthy discussion on the U.S. and Chinese economies, with Greer and Bessent emphasizing the need for China to shift away from a state-led, export-driven manufacturing economy to one powered by increased consumer demand, which would help U.S. exports. 'Cooperation between China and the United States will benefit both sides, while if they fight, both will be hurt,' according to a readout of the meetings from China's Xinhua News Agency. 'Stable, healthy and sustainable economic and trade relations between China and the United States are not only conducive to achieving their respective development goals, but also conducive to promoting the development and stability of the world economy.' The Stockholm talks follow Trump's biggest trade deal yet with the European Union on Sunday for a 15% tariff on most EU goods exports to the U.S. and a deal with Japan. That agreement has brought a measure of relief to the EU but also frustration and anger, with France denouncing the deal as a 'submission' and Germany, Europe's largest economy, warning of 'significant' damage.


Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Humanoid robots embodiment of China's AI ambitions
Agencies Serving craft beer, playing mahjong, stacking shelves and boxing, the dozens of humanoid robots at Shanghai's World AI Conference (WAIC) this weekend were embodiments of China's growing AI prowess and ambition. The annual event is primed at showcasing China's progress in the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence, with the government aiming to position the country as a world leader on both technology and regulation as it snaps at the United States' heels. Opening the event on Saturday, Premier Li Qiang announced China would set up a new organization for cooperation on AI governance, warning the benefits of development must be balanced with the risks. But in the cavernous expo next door, the mood was more giddy than concerned. 'Demand is currently very strong, whether in terms of data, scenarios, model training, or artificial construction. The overall atmosphere in all these areas is very lively,' said Yang Yifan, R&D director at Transwarp, a Shanghai-based AI platform provider. This year's WAIC is the first since a breakthrough moment for Chinese AI this January when startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. Organisers said the forum involved more than 800 companies, showcasing over 3,000 products -- the undeniable crowd pleasers being the humanoid robots and their raft of slightly surreal party one booth, a robot played drums, half a beat out of time, to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' while a man in safety goggles and a security vest hyped up a giggling droids, some dressed in working overalls or baseball caps, manned assembly lines, played curling with human opponents or sloppily served soft drinks from a dispenser. While most of the machines on display were still a little jerky, the increasing sophistication year-on-year was clear to see. The Chinese government has poured support into robotics, an area in which some experts think China might already have the upper hand over the United States. At Hangzhou-based Unitree's stall, its G1 android -- around 130 centimeters tall, with a two-hour battery life -- kicked, pivoted and punched, keeping its balance with relative fluidity as it shadowboxed around a ring. Ahead of the conference's opening, Unitree announced it would launch a full-size humanoid, the R1, for under $6,000. Most high-tech helpers don't need hardware though. At the expo, AI companions -- in the form of middle-aged businessmen, scantily clad women and ancient warriors -- waved at people from screens, asking how their day was, while other stalls ran demos allowing visitors to create their own digital avatars. Tech giant Baidu on Saturday announced a new generation of technology for its 'digital humans' -- AI agents modelled on real people, which it says are 'capable of thinking, making decisions, and collaborating'. The company recently ran a six-hour e-commerce broadcast hosted by the 'digital human' of a well-known streamer and another avatar. The two agents beat the human streamer's debut sales in some categories, Baidu said. Over ten thousand businesses are using the technology already, the department's head Wu Chenxia told AFP. Asked about the impact on jobs -- one of the major concerns raised around widespread AI adoption -- Wu insisted that AI was a tool that should be used to improve quality and save time and effort, which still required human input. For now, few visitors to the WAIC expo seemed worried about the potential ramifications of the back-flipping dog robots they were excitedly watching. 'When it comes to China's AI development, we have a comparatively good foundation of data and also a wealth of application scenarios,' said Transwarp's Yang. 'There are many more opportunities for experimentation.'