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Freedom251 › Blog › APT31

Was There a $10 Million Reward for the Hacker Accused in the HAFNIUM Case?

By Freedom251 Team · · 2 min read

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No. The official records describe two separate matters: Xu Zewei is accused in a case involving intrusions that included the HAFNIUM campaign, while the State Department’s offer of up to $10 million concerns APT31 and people associated with that group. The records cited here do not identify Xu as a subject of that reward.

What happened to Xu Zewei?

The U.S. Justice Department said Xu, a Chinese national, was arrested in Italy on July 3, 2025, at the request of the United States. In an announcement on July 8, 2025, prosecutors said Xu and co-defendant Zhang Yu had been charged in a nine-count indictment concerning alleged intrusions from February 2020 through June 2021, including activity publicly known as HAFNIUM. DOJ’s July 2025 announcement said Zhang was at large at that time; that dated statement does not establish his current status.

In a later update, the Justice Department reported that Xu was extradited from Italy on April 25, 2026, and made an initial appearance in federal court in Houston. The April 27, 2026 release described the charges as involving alleged intrusions that included HAFNIUM and targeting related to COVID-19 research.

What do prosecutors allege about HAFNIUM?

The indictment, as described by DOJ, alleges that the intrusions targeted U.S. universities and researchers working on COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and testing. Prosecutors also allege that the activity exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server and included the campaign known publicly as HAFNIUM. These are allegations in a criminal case, not findings of guilt.

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DOJ’s July 2025 release quoted FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Brett Leatherman saying HAFNIUM “targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700.” In the April 2026 release, Leatherman described the campaign as having “compromised more than 12,700 U.S. organizations.” These are attributed statements by an FBI official, and the wording differs between the two releases.

Who is the $10 million reward for?

The State Department’s Rewards for Justice page offers up to $10 million for information about APT31 and associated people. DOJ’s March 25, 2024 announcement identified seven Chinese nationals associated with APT31 in connection with the offer. Neither that announcement nor the Rewards for Justice APT31 page identifies Xu Zewei as the subject of the reward.

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DOJ’s March 2024 announcement concerns alleged computer intrusions attributed to APT31 and is distinct from the Xu and Zhang prosecution. The similar connection to Chinese state-linked hacking does not make the defendants or cases interchangeable.

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What is established about the case?

  • DOJ reported Xu’s arrest in Italy on July 3, 2025, and his extradition to the United States on April 25, 2026.
  • Prosecutors say the nine-count indictment against Xu and Zhang concerns alleged intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including HAFNIUM-related activity.
  • The $10 million reward in the official records described here concerns APT31 and associated people, not Xu.
  • The case update cited here is dated April 27, 2026; it does not establish whether later proceedings have occurred.

Xu and Zhang are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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APT31CybercrimecybersecurityHAFNIUMJustice Department

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