Microsoft says its systems were exposed to malware

Bloomberg

Microsoft Corp. said its systems were exposed to the malware used in the Russia-linked hack that targeted US states and government agencies, adding that investigations so far show the malicious software wasn’t used to attack others and didn’t
impact customer data or
outward-facing systems.
The company is a customer of SolarWinds Corp., whose software the hackers are believed to have used to gain access to networks by installing malicious code. Microsoft found code related to that cyber-attack “in our environment, which we isolated and removed,” spokesman Frank Shaw said in a statement posted to his Twitter account. “We have not found evidence of access to production services or customer data.”
So far, Microsoft has found “a few instances” of SolarWinds malware in its computers, but no signs of further encroachment, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “We are still investigating, to be clear, but we found no indications the attackers were able to go from that point to create vulnerabilities in our products or services,” he said.
Reuters reported that Microsoft was hacked and that its systems were used to attack other entities, citing people familiar with the matter.
Any successful cyber-attack on Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker and the second-biggest cloud-infrastructure provider, could damage its standing as a trusted provider of cloud software and security services. The software giant’s involvement emerged as the wider repercussions of the far-reaching hack became more clear. SolarWinds’ customers include government agencies and Fortune 500 companies, according to the company and cybersecurity experts. The departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Commerce and State were breached, according to a person familiar with the matter. The US nuclear weapons agency and at least three states were also hacked.