U.S. wiretap systems were targeted in a security breach linked to China, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

• According to The Wall Street Journal, the US broadband providers' networks were breached in a cyberattack linked to the Chinese government, which aimed to obtain wiretap requests.
• The U.S. uses networks to make lawful requests for communications data, and it's possible that hackers had access to these networks for months or longer, according to the newspaper.

On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the networks of U.S. broadband providers were breached in a cyberattack linked to the Chinese government, which aimed to obtain wiretap requests.

The newspaper discovered that the attack may have given China access to the American government's court-approved wiretapping requests through the court-authorized network.

According to the WSJ, sources claim that the hackers may have had access to U.S. networks used for legal communication data requests for an extended period of time.

Western governments and technology companies accuse China of using hackers to obtain government information, but China denies these allegations.

Officials have expressed worry that cyberattacks could disrupt U.S. systems during a conflict between China and the U.S., according to the newspaper.

The Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon is responsible for the cyber breach, which poses serious national security risks, according to the WSJ.

The F.B.I. declined to respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Read The Wall Street Journal's article here.