A suspected cyberattack on China’s National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin has reportedly compromised 10 petabytes of sensitive data involving aerospace, defense, and nuclear research. An individual known as Flaming China is allegedly auctioning this massive dataset on hacker forums for Monero cryptocurrency, threatening the security of over 1,600 critical Chinese institutions.
A significant security breach has reportedly targeted the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin, a cornerstone of China’s scientific and military research infrastructure. An anonymous actor using the handle Flaming China claimed responsibility for the intrusion on various hacker forums, asserting they successfully exfiltrated 10 petabytes of data. This volume of information is immense, roughly totaling 10 million gigabytes, and suggests a deep level of access into the facility’s internal networks.
The stolen information reportedly covers a wide array of high-stakes sectors, including military technology, aerospace engineering, bioinformatics, and simulations for nuclear fusion. The hacker has placed the data up for sale, offering a comprehensive file index for 10 Monero while holding the full dataset for the highest bidder. Because Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, tracking the financial transactions associated with this potential sale remains extremely difficult for authorities.
The National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin is not merely a data warehouse but a vital hub for national innovation and defense. It provides the computational power necessary for large-scale engineering models and simulations used by state-owned enterprises and elite universities. Historically, the center gained international fame for hosting the Tianhe-1, which once held the title of the fastest supercomputer in the world.
Given its extensive reach, the center serves as a primary resource for more than 1,600 major institutions spanning nearly every province in China. It plays a fundamental role in the country’s industrial digitalization and scientific ecosystem, making it a high-value target for state-sponsored and independent cyber actors alike. Analysts view the facility as a critical component of China's long-term technological strategy and national competitive edge.
If the claims of this massive data theft are verified, the implications for national security could be profound and long-lasting. The exposure of proprietary defense research and advanced scientific simulations could undermine years of strategic development and provide foreign entities with a blueprint of China’s technical capabilities. The incident highlights the growing vulnerability of even the most advanced computing centers to sophisticated cyber threats.
Source: https://www.visiontimes.com/2026/03/18/hackers-claim-breach-of-chinas-supercomputing-hub-stealing-10pb-of-military-data.html