Massive Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Chinese Supercomputer Files
A suspected cyberattack has compromised a 10-petabyte trove of highly sensitive data from Tianjin’s National Supercomputing Center (NSCC), a state-run Chinese supercomputing hub serving over 6,000 clients, including government and defense entities. The leaked dataset, first revealed on February 6 by a Telegram user under the alias FlamingChina, contains:
- Classified defense documents
- Missile schematics
- Technical files and simulations of defense technology
- Research in aerospace engineering, bioinformatics, and fusion simulation
Cybersecurity researcher Marc Hofer reviewed the sample data and engaged with an individual claiming responsibility for the breach. The attacker reportedly gained access via a compromised VPN domain, then deployed a botnet to exfiltrate the data over six months. The stolen files are now being sold in limited previews for thousands of dollars, with full access priced at hundreds of thousands payable in cryptocurrency.
If verified, the breach could impact high-profile entities linked to the NSCC, though the full extent of the exposure remains unclear. The incident underscores the ongoing risks of state-backed infrastructure vulnerabilities in critical research and defense sectors.
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"id": "CYB1775766637",
"linkid": "cybersecurity-news",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "2/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "8",
"explanation": "Attack that could bring to a war"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '6,000+ clients including '
'government and defense entities',
'industry': 'Supercomputing, Defense, Aerospace, '
'Bioinformatics',
'location': 'Tianjin, China',
'name': 'Tianjin’s National Supercomputing Center '
'(NSCC)',
'type': 'Government/Research Institution'}],
'attack_vector': 'Compromised VPN domain',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes, over six months via botnet',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Classified defense documents',
'Missile schematics',
'Technical files and simulations '
'of defense technology',
'Research in aerospace '
'engineering',
'Research in bioinformatics',
'Research in fusion simulation']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-02-06',
'description': 'A suspected cyberattack has compromised a 10-petabyte trove '
'of highly sensitive data from Tianjin’s National '
'Supercomputing Center (NSCC), a state-run Chinese '
'supercomputing hub serving over 6,000 clients, including '
'government and defense entities. The leaked dataset contains '
'classified defense documents, missile schematics, technical '
'files and simulations of defense technology, and research in '
'aerospace engineering, bioinformatics, and fusion simulation. '
'The stolen files are now being sold in limited previews for '
'thousands of dollars, with full access priced at hundreds of '
'thousands payable in cryptocurrency.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High',
'data_compromised': '10 petabytes',
'systems_affected': 'National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) '
'systems'},
'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'Yes',
'entry_point': 'Compromised VPN domain'},
'motivation': 'Financial gain, potential espionage',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
'ransom_demanded': 'Hundreds of thousands (cryptocurrency)'},
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-02-06',
'source': 'Telegram (FlamingChina alias)'},
{'source': 'Cybersecurity researcher Marc Hofer'}],
'title': 'Massive Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Chinese Supercomputer Files',
'type': 'Data Breach'}