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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2024-10-16 18:33:06.371
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/16/china_intel_chip_security/
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China’s infosec leads accuse Intel of NSA backdoor, cite chip security flaws. Uncle Sam having a secret way into US tech? Say it ain't so. A Chinese industry group has accused Intel of backdooring its CPUs, in addition to other questionable security practices while calling for an investigation into the chipmaker, claiming its products pose "serious risks to national security." The Cybersecurity Association of China (CSAC), in a lengthy post on its WeChat account on Wednesday described Intel's chips as being riddled with vulnerabilities, adding that the American company's "major defects in product quality and security management show its extremely irresponsible attitude towards customers." The CSAC also accused Intel of embedding a backdoor "in almost all" of its CPUs since 2008 as part of a "next-generation security defense system" developed by the US National Security Agency. This allowed Uncle Sam to "build an ideal monitoring environment where only the NSA is protected and everyone else is 'naked,'" the post continued. "This poses a huge security threat to the critical information infrastructure of countries around the world, including China," the industry group claims. The infosec org also recommends the Cyberspace Administration of China open an investigation into the security of Intel's products sold in the country "to effectively safeguard China's national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers." Intel did not immediately respond to The Register's inquiries. The calls for a government investigation into the American chipmaker follow a series of accusations from the White House accusing Chinese spies of burrowing into US networks and critical infrastructure systems, all of which China has denied, and a proposed ban on Chinese connected vehicle technology. Uncle Sam started imposing export restrictions on advanced chips to China two years ago, and last year extended them to effectively ban the export of AI chips to China. The feds stated reasoning for these sanctions is to prevent Beijing's military from gaining access to high-performance computing power that could be used to weaponize AI. Intel this year inked deals with several Chinese state-linked agencies for its Xeon processors to be used in AI workloads, according to Reuters. Considering a little over a quarter of Intel's revenue last year came from China, a security review of its products — and potential restrictions — could be a major blow to its ongoing recovery efforts.
Daily Brief Summary
A Chinese industry group, the Cybersecurity Association of China (CSAC), has accused Intel of embedding backdoors in its CPUs that could potentially allow the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) to access data globally.
CSAC alleges these backdoors have been present in almost all Intel CPUs since 2008, posing significant security threats internationally, particularly to critical information infrastructures.
The accusations emerged amid escalating technological tensions between the U.S. and China, which includes U.S. accusations of Chinese espionage and recent stringent export restrictions on advanced and AI chips to China.
CSAC has urged the Cyberspace Administration of China to initiate a thorough investigation into Intel's security practices to protect national security and the interests of Chinese consumers.
Intel's sales in China, accounting for over a quarter of its total revenue last year, could be severely impacted if restrictive measures are imposed following an investigation.
The ongoing dispute reflects broader concerns over international cybersecurity and technological dominance, particularly in areas of critical infrastructure and advanced computing technologies.