Global champions: joint team from Zhejiang University, SJTU and Fudan makes history for Asia

The BlackHat MEA CTF Final 2025 recently concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Team *0xA—a joint team composed of Zhejiang University’s AAA Team along with teams from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University—claimed the global championship with a total score of 8,225 points, winning by a margin of nearly 1,000 points after three days of intense competition.

BlackHat MEA (Middle East and Africa) is one of the world’s leading cybersecurity conferences, held annually in Riyadh. Its Capture The Flag (CTF) competition attracts top security professionals and enthusiasts from around the world, with more than 1,000 teams registering in 2025. Team *0xA’s victory marks the first time an Asian team has won the BlackHat MEA CTF, ending years of dominance by teams from Europe and North America.

The  AAA Team of ZJU was represented by HU Jiayi, a 2024 master’s student, and HU Yicheng, a 2025 doctoral student, both from the College of Computer Science and Technology. They were joined by HE Haojie, an AAA Team alumnus who earned his bachelor’s degree from ZJU in 2022, and currently serves as captain of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 0ops Team. The team competed on-site in Riyadh alongside members from their partner universities.

Team *0xA seized an early lead on the opening day, solving all cryptography challenges within the first hour. Leveraging his experience in kernel security, HU Jiayi solved the kernel exploitation challenge “Scream”, making Team *0xA the first team to complete it. The team also achieved first solves on several other challenges, ending Day One at the top of the leaderboard.

Competition grew fiercer on the second day as leading international teams narrowed the gap. Although Team *0xA secured several key first solves, three challenges remained just short of completion, and the team ended the day in second place. “There was some pressure at the time,” said HU Jiayi, “but we encouraged each other and adjusted our strategy for the final day.”

Entering the last day, the team implemented a clear division of labor based on individual strengths, steadily resolving the remaining challenges. In the final two hours, during the competition’s blacklight mode when real-time scores are hidden, the team solved Ninja V2, a long-unsolved XSS exploitation challenge, securing a decisive lead and the championship.

The victory marks both a significant milestone and a new starting point. Zhejiang University students demonstrated strong technical expertise, effective teamwork, and strategic thinking under pressure, highlighting the rising influence of Chinese youth on the global cybersecurity stage.

Source: Zhejiang University’s AAA Team, SUN Zhou, ZHANG Shufan
Translator: HUANG Ruilin (26’, English)
Editor: HAN Xiao