Chile probes telecom cyberespionage

Chile’s PDI and the Metropolitan North Central prosecutors’ office have opened steps to verify a complaint, backed by information from the United States, about possible cyberattacks on devices located in Chile in the case known as the "Chinese cable." The investigation points to possible attacks against private telecom companies and to a risk to the privacy and personal data of mobile phone users.

What is under investigation?

According to Emol’s reporting, the document delivered to prosecutors mentions an actor identified as "Lilac Typhoon" or DEV-0234, described as a network of compromised devices allegedly used by actors associated with China’s People’s Liberation Army. In that same line, the complaint cited by the PDI refers to possible cyberattacks against multiple private telecom companies in Chile and warns of a risk to the privacy and personal data of mobile phone users.

BioBioChile also reported that prosecutors are examining the case as computer sabotage and that, according to that coverage, tools such as ShadowPad were detected for remote access and espionage.

What do the reports say?

Revista Seguridad said U.S. intelligence reports warned the Chilean government about cyberespionage operations using malware in telecom company networks in Chile, with mentions of Entel, Movistar, and Telmex. The publication added that the initial reports attributed to the malware network reconnaissance, metadata extraction, and backdoor installation, rather than an immediate disruption of services.

Vilas Radio reported that the alert was triggered after a complaint delivered to former President Gabriel Boric in February. It also said the forensic work is aimed at identifying IP addresses and measuring the scope of the infection.

For now, the attribution and the scope of the case remain under review, and the information made public is based on intelligence reports and on inquiries opened by the PDI and prosecutors.