Russian military cadet reportedly arrested for selling hacking tool to FSB agent
A cadet from the Russian military space academy in St. Petersburg has reportedly been arrested for allegedly developing and attempting to sell a hacking tool capable of breaching a classified security system used by law enforcement and military personnel.
The system, known as Secret Net Studio, is designed to secure workstations and servers at the data, application, network, operating system and hardware levels.
According to a report from a Telegram channel that provides updates on legal regulations and official documents related to the Russian military, the cadet developed an algorithm that could bypass the protective infrastructure of the software and gain access to restricted data.
He reportedly listed the tool for sale on Avito, a popular Russian online marketplace, for 8,000 rubles (approximately $100). He ended up attempting to sell it to an undercover agent with the Federal Security Service (FSB), which led to the cadet's detention.
The suspected hacker now faces charges of unlawful access to legally protected computer information and could potentially be prosecuted for treason.
No announcement of the charges have been made on official Russian channels, and the report could not be independently verified. But it would not be the first time students from the academy have faced legal issues. Earlier this week, local media reported that another cadet was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a woman he believed to be a spy. According to reports, the suspect mistook the victim's hearing aid for espionage equipment.
In a separate case this week, a Russian court sentenced a university student to six years in a penal colony for allegedly aiding hacker groups linked to Ukrainian security services. The student, arrested in October 2023, was accused of participating in cyberattacks on behalf of the pro-Ukrainian hacking collective Cyber Anarchy Squad. While the group denied directly tasking him, it publicly endorsed his actions, adding that the mentioned student “is doing more” than the majority of Russians.
Daryna Antoniuk
is a reporter for Recorded Future News based in Ukraine. She writes about cybersecurity startups, cyberattacks in Eastern Europe and the state of the cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia. She previously was a tech reporter for Forbes Ukraine. Her work has also been published at Sifted, The Kyiv Independent and The Kyiv Post.