The FBI hacked about 4,200 computers across the US as part of an operation to find and delete PlugX, a malware used by state-backed hackers in China to steal information from victims, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.

Federal authorities announced Tuesday that they have erased Chinese malware from thousands of computers across the United States.

The FBI worked with French law enforcement to squash a variant of the PlugX malware that spreads through USB drives.