Weaponized Words: Uyghur Language Software Hijacked to Deliver Malware

April 28, 2025 | Citizen Lab

Chinese authorities follow individuals even outside China, targeting Uyghurs living in exile or in the diaspora with tactics ranging from physical attacks and extradition requests to digital threats and surveillance.

By using relatives as blackmail, authorities also seek to extract information from diaspora members, including personal data and details on their or others’ activities.

For more than a decade, the WUC has been subjected to regular digital attacks and online harassment.

As the Chinese government restricts the use of Uyghur in the Xinjiang region for education, religion and other areas, software tools and online applications are essential to the preservation of language and culture.

While we are not conclusively attributing the attacks in this report, it is widely documented that Chinese authorities and threat actors aligned with the interests of the Chinese government engage in acts of digital transnational repression to silence communities abroad. 

Read the full article: https://citizenlab.ca/2025/04/uyghur-language-software-hijacked-to-deliver-malware/