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.

The FBI and international partners sent a self-destruct command to PlugX malware More than 4,000 computers in the US alone were cleaned as a result The malware was developed by a Chinese state-sponsored group French cybersecurity firms and law enforcement agents,