It has all there hallmarks of being a major spying scandal. Tiny chips inserted in United States computer equipment manufactured in China were used as part of a vast effort by Beijing to steal technology secrets, a published report has revealed.
The Bloomberg Businessweek article said the chips, the size of a grain of rice, were used on equipment made for Amazon, which first alerted US authorities, and Apple, along with possible government agencies.
The report stated a three-year secret investigation, which remains open, enabled spies to create a “stealth doorway” into computer equipment, a hardware-based entry that would be more effective and harder to detect than a software hack.
Citing unnamed US officials, Bloomberg said a unit of the People’s Liberation Army were involved in the operation, which placed the chips on equipment manufactured in China for US-based Super Micro Computer Inc.
Supermicro also manufactured equipment for Department of Defense data centers, the CIA’s drone operations, and onboard networks of Navy warships, the report pointed out.
The report said Amazon discovered the problem when it acquired software firm Elemental and began a security review of equipment made for Elemental by California-based Supermicro.
Spy chips
According to Bloomberg, the spy chips were designed for motherboards – the nerve centers for computer equipment – used in data centers operated by Apple, Amazon Web Services and others.
Apple said in a statement it “has never found malicious chips, ‘hardware manipulations’ or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server.”
A statement by Amazon to AFP said that “at no time, past or present, have we ever found any issues relating to modified hardware or malicious chips in Supermicro motherboards in any Elemental or Amazon systems.”
Supermicro could not immediately be reached for comment, but Bloomberg said the firm denied any knowledge of the espionage or investigation.
In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied the country was involved, or had been involved, in cybespying
“China is a resolute defender of cybersecurity,” it stated. “Supply chain safety in cyberspace is an issue of common concern, and China is also a victim … We hope parties make less gratuitous accusations and suspicions but conduct a more constructive talk and collaboration so that we can work together in building a peaceful, safe, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace.”
– reporting by AFP
Bloomberg is another CIA tool …they all claim to be INDEPENDENT and FREE …but in the end it will show the WORLD that’s all FAKE !!! ( after all there are ALL Yankee evil and fake news coporate )
LoL, us regime has out of the blue "magically" achieved progress in hypersonic weapons not long after a Russian scientist got arrested for leaking secrets. Anyone with a working brain should be able to deduce that us regime is behind the spying and stealing technologies.
Wow!!!Now with hardware proof in hand. Maybe can show a photo of the grain size chip. Wonder what it looks like.
Apple also issued a detailed statement debunking the BS:
" On this we can be very clear: Apple has never found malicious chips, "hardware manipulations" or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server. "
An UK government agency supports Apple and Amazon:
In a statement to Reuters, the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre has shown support for the strongly worded rebuttals of the story issued by AWS and Apple.
"We are aware of the media reports but at this stage have no reason to doubt the detailed assessments made by AWS and Apple," the National Cyber Security Centre said in the statement, according to Reuters"
This is a full spectrum attack on China by the US.
Amazon and Apple said they never heard anything of it. I guess Bloomberg is more credible
For every Chinese cyber intrusion, there would be 1,000 by the USA. Just like when they make a big deal about the 1 Chinese overseas military base Djibouti, when there are 1,000 US bases around the world. The exceptional nation needs to be taken down a few pegs before their war mongering destroys the entire planet.
Well that’s embarrassing, more of the wild "Evil China maliciously spying on US" accusations to prepare gullible American public for another cold war debunked by US own companies that were suppose to be the victims. Utterly pathetic. No surprise here as they demonstrated they have 0 honor after the "Iraqi weapon of mass destruction"lie (and don’t forget Libya and Syria!) to justify their wars then utterly refuse to face up to the REAL "international community" for their errors.
Aside from the manipulative lies US really is hopelessly war addicted. How many wars were started because of them since WWII? Remember the Original cold war were started by US too as right after WWII Soviet union were really exhausted after extremely brutal fighting with Hitler, with homeland burnt in the invasion, capital moscow almost taken over and killed over 80% of all german troops invovled in the war while comparably US had it easy! US then immediately subjected Soviet Union to cold war! Even during cold war US started more wars, toppled more governments, supported more brutal dictators and supplied more malicious actors (ultimate blowback in al-qaida) than Soviet Union ever did! FACT! I dare anyone knowledgble of that period refute it! And now after 20 years of stupid none stop wars another cold one with China?!
If that is the way to spy , Joe Grand commented that, that would be witnessing a unicorn jumping over a rainbow or throwing a stick in the Yangste River upstream of Shanghai and somehow land in Seattle.
Ha! Ha! Ha! What a whopper ! It actually took 3 years to come up with this lie! Ha! Ha! Ha!