From Balakot to Sindoor: How Top Hacker Sunny Nehra’s OSINT Supremacy Crushed Pakistan’s Cyber Propaganda

Siddharth Rao, New Delhi: Sunny Nehra not only proved the impact of the Balakot airstrike but also proved that the targeted site was indeed a terrorist camp.

While Sunny Nehra is widely known as India’s top ethical hacker and cybersecurity expert, his work in OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) deserves a special spotlight. Sunny Nehra is well known for his OSINT Supremacy on X (formerly) Twitter and other platforms for being able to find the exact pinpoint of incidents, and prove the same using multiple methods.

What is OSINT?

OSINT is the practice of collecting and analyzing publicly available data to produce actionable intelligence. It involves gathering information from: Social media posts, Publicly accessible databases, Metadata in leaked documents, Darknet forums and marketplaces, WHOIS records or domain registries, Open web search results, and more.

Sunny has taken this discipline far beyond conventional boundaries, combining it with deep technical analysis. Sunny’s OSINT works are unique for the reason that he is so analytical and calculative about his approach to visuals, comparing every minute details in a given photo or video, calculating even the angles at which different objects are present, cross checking the findings with several mechanisms. As an example, during Operation Sindoor, when everyone was randomly plotting locations on Kirana Hills where the missile hit, it was Nehra who exactly pinpointed the blast location and proved the same using so many cross-checks, which stunned the internet. Nehra’s mastery of OSINT tools and techniques has led to several high-profile discoveries that have reverberated across the cybersecurity and law enforcement communities. Just at the age of 29, Nehra has achieved OSINT supremacy, that is no other person dares to challenge his OSINT work, and generally he is the one who is found challenging and correcting OSINT work done by other experts.

Operation Sindoor

During Operation Sindoor, he was the one who pinpointed the exact location of the Kirana Hills blast. His thread on Kirana Hills became the most viral geolocation detection thread ever, shared not only by global media houses but also by academies training civil services aspirants, leading defense experts worldwide, and many others.

Apart from the Kirana Hills thread, his other OSINT contributions during Operation Sindoor included debunking several fake viral satellite images. Furthermore, when Pakistani handlers on social media claimed that a BrahMos missile had accidentally fallen in a civilian area in Pakistan due to inaccuracy, it was Nehra who completely debunked this claim. He proved that it was, in fact, a Rampage missile, found its exact blast coordinates, and explained the reasons behind its trajectory and impact location.

Additionally, when Pakistani handlers refused to accept the missile debris shown by Indian media as belonging to Pakistani missiles, Nehra used his OSINT expertise to conclusively prove that the debris indeed belonged to Pakistan. His fact-based analysis forced even Pakistan’s top OSINT handlers to accept the truth. 

Balakot Airstrike 

On the Quora platform, his answers to the questions “Can you provide some authentic proofs of the Balakot air strike by the IAF?” and “Can you show on Google map where exactly Balakot Air Strike by IAF happened?” are considered the most renowned geolocation and OSINT-based answers ever published. The answer to the latter question is regarded as a benchmark for OSINT analysis. Similar to his work during Operation Sindoor, during the Balakot air strike, Nehra wrote several Twitter threads to establish key facts and debunk widespread misinformation. In fact, it was Nehra who was the first person to pinpoint the exact location of the Balakot Air strike, and prove the impact on that location. In fact, it was Nehra who proved that the targeted site was indeed a terror camp.

Other OSINT works

One of Nehra’s most notable OSINT achievements was uncovering a compromised server belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, which foreign hackers had exploited to host illegal drug-selling forums. This revelation, praised publicly by IAS Sanjeev Gupta, former President & CEO of Digital India, showcased Nehra’s ability to navigate the darknet and identify illicit activities that evaded traditional audits. His findings prompted authorities to strengthen cybersecurity measures for critical government infrastructure.

In August 2021, Nehra, alongside cyber expert Anshul Saxena, used OSINT to expose a breach by Pakistani hackers targeting Indian news channels. The hackers planned to live-stream content on Pakistan’s Independence Day, but Nehra’s timely analysis and public alert on Twitter thwarted their plans, allowing affected channels to patch vulnerabilities. This incident highlighted Nehra’s ability to leverage OSINT for real-time threat detection and mitigation.

Nehra’s OSINT work extends to analyzing malware and tracking Command and Control (C&C) servers. He has successfully identified C&C servers for various malware strains and pinpointed affected victims, providing critical intelligence to law enforcement. His comprehensive analysis of the Pegasus Spyware, including its evolution and vulnerabilities, was among the first of its kind. Nehra also raised early warnings about Apple’s iMessage as a primary attack vector for Pegasus in 2020–2021, demonstrating his foresight in identifying emerging threats.

Twitter Threads: A Masterclass in OSINT and Cybersecurity Awareness

Top Indian hacker Sunny Nehra’s Twitter presence, under the handle @sunnynehrabro, is a treasure trove of OSINT insights and cybersecurity knowledge. His threads are celebrated for their clarity, depth, and ability to demystify complex technical concepts for both experts and enthusiasts. These threads often combine OSINT findings with practical advice, making them a go-to resource for the infosec community. In-depth OSINT is also one of the services offered by his startup, Secure Your Hacks, catering to both law enforcement agencies and corporate clients. 

Sunny Nehra’s contributions to OSINT and cybersecurity are nothing short of extraordinary. From exposing drug forums on hacked government servers to thwarting foreign cyberattacks and debunking misinformation, his work has had a profound impact on India’s digital security landscape. His Twitter threads, rich with OSINT insights, serve as both a knowledge repository and a call to action for the infosec community. As cyber threats continue to evolve, Nehra’s visionary approach and multi-domain expertise ensure he remains at the forefront of the fight for a secure digital future. For aspiring cybersecurity professionals and OSINT enthusiasts, following @sunnynehrabro on X is a must to witness the brilliance of India’s top ethical hacker in action