More than 4,000 U.S. computers and networks have had malware files deleted by the FBI, which said it did not collect other information during the remote operations.

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.

French cybersecurity firms and law enforcement agents, together with partners from the United States, have successfully removed Chinese-built malware from thousands of infected PCs. In a press release shared on the US Justice Department (DoJ) website,