Khaberni - In one of the most potentially dangerous cyberattacks in Chinese history, reports have revealed a massive hacking operation that targeted a state-managed supercomputing center, leaking a massive amount of sensitive data estimated at more than 10 petabytes, amid allegations of stealing defense documents and highly confidential missile designs.
According to circulating information, the attack targeted the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin, one of the country's most prominent digital infrastructure centers, serving more than 6,000 entities, including scientific institutions and entities linked to the defense sector.
Huge breach undetected for months
Cybersecurity experts, after analyzing samples of the leaked data and communicating with the alleged attacking party, reported that the hacking might have been carried out with unexpected ease and lasted several months without detection, according to a report published by "wionews".
An entity calling itself “FlamingChina” posted a sample of the data via the "Telegram" app on February 6, claiming that the content includes advanced research in fields such as aerospace engineering, military research, biocomputing, and nuclear fusion simulation.
The claims also indicate that the leaked data is associated with prominent Chinese entities, including the Chinese Aviation Industry Corporation, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation, and the National Defense University.
Selling the data for hundreds of thousands of dollars
According to experts, the hackers are offering limited portions of the data for thousands of dollars, while the price for full access reaches hundreds of thousands, with payment requested in cryptocurrencies.
The leaked samples include classified documents, technical files and simulations, in addition to visual designs for military weapons like bombs and missiles.
Immense intelligence value
The Tianjin center, established in 2009, is the first national supercomputing center in China and is part of a broader network that includes centers in cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu.
In this context, cybersecurity researcher Mark Hofer warned of the magnitude of the leaked data, noting that analyzing it requires significant capabilities, but it could reveal critically sensitive intelligence information.
To clarify, 1 petabyte equals 1000 terabytes, whereas most advanced laptops do not exceed one terabyte of capacity.
How was the breach carried out?
According to the narrative, the attacker managed to infiltrate through a compromised VPN domain before using a "botnet" network to systematically extract data over about six months.
However, these claims are still not independently verified, and experts believe that the operation may have exploited system design vulnerabilities more than relying on advanced hacking techniques.
Broader concerns about digital security
If confirmed, this incident could highlight deep vulnerabilities in China's technological infrastructure, especially amid the rapidly accelerating global competition in areas such as artificial intelligence and advanced computing.
This incident follows a previous one in 2022 when a huge database containing personal information for up to a billion Chinese citizens was uncovered, available without protection for a long period.
The Chinese government has acknowledged these challenges, as emphasized in the "National Security White Paper 2025", stressing the need to enhance the protection of networks, data, and artificial intelligence systems, and to build a more robust cybersecurity system to protect critical infrastructure.
