‘This was not an isolated incident’: Chinese national exposed by NASA investigation in serial defense software theft phishing campaign that lasted years

• Chinese national indicted in a huge phishing campaign
• NASA, the military, universities and private companies were targeted
• The perpetrator stole restricted defense software

NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released a report detailing an intricate campaign to steal export-restricted software, orchestrated by a Chinese national.

The campaign targeted engineers at NASA, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as major universities and private companies.

Posing as a colleague or friend, the perpetrator managed to convince dozens of professors, researchers, and engineers to share sensitive defense software and code for almost five years.

Federal warrant issued

The Chinese national, identified as Song Wu, was investigated by the Office of Investigations Cyber Crimes Division (CCD) after receiving an alert that emails were being received from a Gmail account claiming to be an aerospace professor who had collaborated with NASA.

Song Wu’s phishing campaign began in January 2017 and ended in December 2021, during which time he contacted employees at NASA, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army, the Federal Aviation Administration, and employees at numerous universities and private companies.

According to the CCD, Song Wu and unidentified co-conspirators would rigorously research their targets, and then pose as a friend or colleague requesting access to copies or source code of modeling software used for aerospace design and weapons development.

As the software was related to defense, it was subject to export controls that were unknowingly violated when victims fell for Song Wu’s deception.

A federal warrant has been issued for Song Wu’s arrest, and he has been indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft, but he remains at large, the NASA report said.

“Cases like this underscore the importance of complying with export controls and staying vigilant, even during everyday email exchanges,” said Ryan Pittman, the Special Agent in Charge of CCD. “At NASA OIG, it’s our job to protect the Agency’s cutting-edge technology and expose cyber criminals who attempt to steal it.”

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