The NASA Office of Inspector General disclosed a multi-year spear-phishing campaign in which Chinese national Song Wu impersonated U.S. researchers to obtain aerospace modeling software and sensitive defense technology from NASA, government agencies, universities, and private companies. The Department of Justice indicted Song in 2024, linking him to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and prompting the FBI to add him to its Most Wanted list. #SongWu #NASA
Keypoints
- Song Wu posed as U.S. researchers to solicit proprietary aerospace software and source code from victims.
- The campaign ran from January 2017 to December 2021 and targeted NASA, military branches, the FAA, universities, and private firms.
- Investigators allege Song was connected to the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and conducted extensive pretexting.
- He faces wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges and could receive decades in prison if convicted.
- The OIG and FBI highlighted warning signs such as repeated software requests, unusual payment methods, and unconventional transfer tactics to expose the scheme.
Read More: https://thehackernews.com/2026/04/nasa-employees-duped-in-chinese.html