Hacker Claims Massive Breach of Chinese Supercomputer, Stealing Sensitive Defense Data

Potential Massive Breach of China's Cyber Infrastructure

In a development raising international security concerns, a computer hacker, known by the alias 'FlamingChina,' claims to have successfully infiltrated a Chinese state-run supercomputer and stolen vast amounts of sensitive data. This alleged trove includes highly classified defense documents and detailed missile schematics, potentially marking the largest known data theft incident against China to date.

Tianjin Supercomputing Center Under Scrutiny

Cybersecurity experts believe the massive dataset, estimated to be over 10 petabytes, was likely obtained from the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Tianjin. This facility serves as a critical infrastructure hub, providing advanced computing services to over 6,000 clients across China, including high-level scientific institutions and sensitive defense agencies. Initial assessments by experts who have reviewed data samples suggest the claims may hold water.

Ease of Infiltration and Data Exfiltration

According to cybersecurity professionals who have communicated with the alleged hacker and examined samples of the stolen data posted online, the breach appears to have been carried out with 'relative ease.' The hacker was reportedly able to exfiltrate enormous quantities of information over several months without detection, raising questions about the effectiveness of the security measures in place at this vital center.

Details of Stolen Data and Sale Offer

'FlamingChina' posted a sample of the alleged dataset on Telegram on February 6th, claiming it includes advanced research across diverse fields such as aerospace engineering, military research, bioinformatics, and nuclear fusion simulations. The claims suggest the information is linked to major Chinese entities, including the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), and the National University of Defense Technology.

The hacker is currently offering a limited preview of this massive dataset for thousands of dollars, with full access priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars, payable in cryptocurrency. While CNN has not been able to independently verify the source of the data or the claims made by 'FlamingChina,' initial expert assessments indicate a potential for the leak's authenticity.

Sensitive Nature of Allegedly Stolen Data Revealed

Sample data allegedly posted included documents marked with a 'Confidential' stamp in Chinese, along with detailed technical files, animated simulations, and 3D designs of advanced defense equipment, including bombs and missiles. Dakota Carey, a principal analyst at cybersecurity firm SentinelOne specializing in China, who reviewed the samples, stated, 'This is exactly what I would expect to see coming out of a supercomputing center.' Carey added that the broad spectrum of samples reflects the wide range of clients the supercomputing center served, noting that most of these clients would not have had a compelling reason to build and manage their own independent supercomputing infrastructure.

CNN has reached out to China's Ministry of Science and Technology and the Cyberspace Administration of China for comment on these serious allegations but had not received a response by the time of publication.