China-Aligned TA419 Targets U.S. AI Policy Experts With Microsoft AitM Phishing

A China-nexus cyber espionage group designated TA419 has been linked to multiple credential phishing campaigns targeting AI experts at U.S. think tanks, universities, and legal organizations. The group employs Adversary-in-the-Middle (AitM) phishing techniques against Microsoft accounts to steal credentials. TA419 has impersonated prominent economists, AI policymakers, and at least one Anthropic employee to lure victims. The primary targets appear to be individuals working on AI policy in the United States. The campaigns represent a focused intelligence-gathering effort by a state-aligned threat actor against the U.S. AI research and policy community. The use of AitM phishing allows the attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication mechanisms. This activity highlights growing Chinese interest in U.S. AI policy development and strategic research.