Open source text editor poisoned to target Uyghur users

Open source text editor poisoned to target Uyghur users

: Who could possibly be behind this attack on an ethnic minority China despises?

Citizen Lab say exiled Uyghur leaders targeted with Windows spyware

The researchers said the attackers behind the campaign had "deep understanding of the target community."

Cyberattack against Uyghur rights activists shows hallmarks of Chinese repression tactics, researchers say

Citizen Lab found the advocates, including some featured in ICIJ’s China Targets investigation, were targeted with malicious software disguised as a Uyghur-language tool.

Death threats, cyberattacks and coercion. Democracy activists living in Germany are persecuted by the Chinese state and feel badly protected in this country.

Trojanized Text Editor Software Used In Uyghur Spy Campaign

A trusted tool has turned traitor. A new Citizen Lab investigation reveals that UyghurEditPP, a legitimate open-source Uyghur-language text editor, has been weaponized to spy on members of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC). The attack, uncovered in March 2025, shows how threat actors have now shifted to exploiting trusted cultural tools to launch cyber-espionage campaigns against diaspora communities. The attack started the old-fashioned way - wit…

Weaponized Words: Uyghur Language Software Hijacked to Deliver Malware - The Citizen Lab

Our investigation of a spearphishing campaign that targeted senior members of the World Uyghur Congress in March 2025 reveals a highly-customized attack delivery method. The ruse used by attackers replicates a pattern in which threat actors weaponize software and websites aimed at preserving and supporting marginalized and repressed cultures to target those same communities.