A hacker has reportedly breached a Chinese government supercomputer and stolen a massive trove of sensitive data, including defence and military research. The stolen dataset, said to be over 10 petabytes, is now being offered for sale online.
A hacker has reportedly pulled off what could be one of the biggest data breaches in China, stealing a massive amount of sensitive information from a government supercomputer. According to a CNN report, the stolen data allegedly includes classified defence documents, missile schematics, and even research linked to fighter jets and advanced war simulations.
According to the report, the stolen data is estimated to exceed 10 petabytes. For reference, a high-end laptop typically stores about one terabyte. If the estimates are accurate, this heist would make it one of the largest known data leaks to emerge from China’s critical infrastructure.
The breach is reportedly believed to have taken place at the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Tianjin, a key facility that supports more than 6,000 organisations across the country. These include major players in advanced science, aerospace, and defence research. Essentially, the facility acts as a backbone for some of China’s most sensitive and high-end computational work.
How did the hacker manage to pull this off?
According to reports, cybersecurity experts who examined samples of the leaked data say the hacker seems to have gained access quite easily and managed to quietly take out data over several months without setting off any alarms. The attacker reportedly used a compromised VPN entry point and then deployed a botnet—a network of automated systems—to slowly siphon off data in chunks.
Researchers note that the method used by the hacker to siphon the data wasn’t very advanced, but it worked. By taking data in small parts across different systems instead of all at once, the hacker avoided detection. The whole operation is believed to have taken around six months.
Stolen data surfaces on Telegram
The dataset first appeared online in early February, when an account calling itself “FlamingChina” posted samples on an anonymous Telegram channel. The preview hinted at a wide range of research areas, including aerospace engineering, military technology, bioinformatics, and fusion simulations. The group also claimed links to major Chinese organisations such as the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and the National University of Defense Technology.
Experts who reportedly analysed the samples say they include documents marked “secret” in Chinese, along with technical files, simulations, and renderings of defence systems such as bombs and missiles. According to the report, the breach could have significant intelligence value, especially for foreign governments or rival agencies.
