Sunday, January 28th 2018

Intel Warned China of Meltdown and Spectre Before the US Government

by
btarunr
 Discuss (37 Comments)
It's no surprise that leading Chinese tech companies have close associations with the Chinese Government and the PLA. Intel has waded into controversial waters as reports point to the chipmaker sharing information about its products' vulnerability to Meltdown and Spectre with Chinese tech companies before warning the United States Government, potentially giving the Chinese government either a head-start into securing its IT infrastructure, or exploiting that of a foreign government.

Lenovo and Alibaba were among the first big tech companies to be informed about Meltdown and Spectre; Lenovo is Intel's biggest PC OEM customer, while Alibaba is the world's largest e-commerce platform and cloud-computing service provider. Both companies are known to have close associations with the Chinese government. The United States Government was not part of the first group of companies informed about the deadly vulnerabilities.
Sources: Nasdaq, Wall Street Journal

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37 Comments on Intel Warned China of Meltdown and Spectre Before the US Government

#26
Vayra86
john_Probably this one
Intel Warned Chinese Companies of Chip Flaws Before U.S. Government - WSJ


Looking at Intel prices. Looking at FPS counter. Still faster than AMD.
Reaction: "I love Intel"
Needing to upgrade motherboard to upgrade processor. Looking at FPS counter. Still faster than AMD.
Reaction: "I love Intel"
Hearing about Intel's monopolistic tactics. Looking at FPS counter. Still faster than AMD.
Reaction: "I love Intel"
Hearing about security problems in Intel processors. Looking at FPS counter. Still faster than AMD.
Reaction: "I love Intel"
Hearing that Intel informed Chinese before US government. Looking at FPS counter. Still faster than AMD.
Reaction: "I love Intel"
....
Thanks. Shame you had to add the second part though
Posted on Reply
#27
Space Lynx
Astronaut
@john_said actually Intel and AMD are about the same on max FPS with the same gpu once you hit 1440p and 4k gaming. Intel is only faster at 1080p. and if you game at 1080p on PC still... I feel very very sorry for you. lol
Posted on Reply
#28
Fx
cmmwUS / NSA already know and been using it for 15 years no need to be informed, they are most likely the paid contractor for this backdoor to be part of the design in the first place... too bad... these three backdoors are compromised... hope the groups that found this flaw are not going to assassinated by the NSA, stay alive guys.
You aren't the only one with knowledge of how the world really works.
Posted on Reply
#29
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
cmmwUS / NSA already know and been using it for 15 years no need to be informed, they are most likely the paid contractor for this backdoor to be part of the design in the first place... too bad... these three backdoors are compromised... hope the groups that found this flaw are not going to assassinated by the NSA, stay alive guys.
ArchStupidHoly tinfoil hat.
rtwjunkieI was going to compliment you on your tinfoil conspiracy defense hat, yet here ya are, online. :rolleyes:
R-T-BNo, pretty sure all of it.
R0H1TI wonder how many will still back Intel after these revelations, tbh not surprising for me at all.
The same was said before the Snowden revelations, at this point in time nothing should surprise anyone. Such state secrets however, rarely come out in the open.
thesmokingmanIs this like some reach around way of excusing Intel?
natr0nThis doesn't look good for Intel.

Some will probably think/say intel are supporting the "commies" over the US.
lynx29USA Congress only cares about their own bank accounts, doubt they even care about this news or even pursue in investigation. lol
When their money starts being compromised yoy bet they will get an investigation going.

By the way @cmmw, @lynx29

Read this link here.

www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/us-lawmakers-to-pull-up-intel-arm-microsoft-and-amazon-for-spectre-secrecy.241032/
Posted on Reply
#30
john_
Vayra86Shame you had to add the second part though
No one is perfect :p
lynx29@john_said actually Intel and AMD are about the same on max FPS with the same gpu once you hit 1440p and 4k gaming. Intel is only faster at 1080p. and if you game at 1080p on PC still... I feel very very sorry for you. lol
Intel is faster, in general, in games, but when increasing resolutions, things does get more balanced. And there you can consider a Ryzen a better option, for various reasons, not FPS of course. Now if you think that resolution is what makes a game good or bad, then I feel sorry for you. A good game can be enjoyable even at 720p. If resolution and quality settings alone can ruin your gaming experience, then I don't think you really play games. You just enjoy the visuals, which is something completely different.
Posted on Reply
#31
R-T-B
R0H1TThe same was said before the Snowden revelations, at this point in time nothing should surprise anyone. Such state secrets however, rarely come out in the open.
Has Snowden really become a blank check for every conspiracy theory ever, even ones that don't add up?
Posted on Reply
#32
Fx
R-T-BHas Snowden really become a blank check for every conspiracy theory ever, even ones that don't add up?
No, many people were aware of conspiracy truths well before the Snowden fiasco and many of us never even reference Snowden because conspiracies happen and are carried out every day. They aren't a secret. Many people just prefer convenient truth because conspiracies (if believed to be true by them) would turn their world upside down.

I never disrespect anyone for not being aware that many conspiracies are true. Everyone has their own timetable to absorb, unravel and digest events. The media has fed us many lies and its all interwoven insomuch that "truths" are built upon other "truths". To question one thing is to question everything. Therein lies the rub.

We've gotten way off topic.
Posted on Reply
#33
R-T-B
I don't deny there may be some conspiracy truths, but as far as likely ones go I find this one piss poor.
Posted on Reply
#34
Fx
R-T-BI don't deny there may be some conspiracy truths
Aye, and I don't believe in every conspiracy presented; that would be quite foolish.

What we do know as fact is that the NSA is largely responsible for both the creation and the request for backdoors. After all, this is how they glean our data to store in their fancy datacenters like the one in Buffalo, Utah.
Posted on Reply
#35
R-T-B
FxAye, and I don't believe in every conspiracy presented; that would be quite foolish.

What we do know as fact is that the NSA is largely responsible for both the creation and the request for backdoors. After all, this is how they glean our data to store in their fancy datacenters like the one in Buffalo, Utah.
Oh, I know. Just understanding the technicalities of the meltdown exploit makes it sound ideal for that. But the dates don't line up. This vulnerability nearly predates the NSA itself.

Spectre on the other hand is way too broad spectrum and "nature of the technology" (it's based on reading memory timings and inferrence) to be anything but an accident, IMO.
Posted on Reply
#36
R0H1T
R-T-BOh, I know. Just understanding the technicalities of the meltdown exploit makes it sound ideal for that. But the dates don't line up. This vulnerability nearly predates the NSA itself.

Spectre on the other hand is way too broad spectrum and "nature of the technology" (it's based on reading memory timings and inferrence) to be anything but an accident, IMO.
What about CIA, you could argue that NSA is a CIA offshot or spinoff without the hidden daggers? The spectre is more or less by design but as I posted in another thread, a vast number of 0 day vulnerabilities are supposed to have been found first by the US govt agencies ~ IIRC NSA being the prime candidate.

There's no harm in giving them a clean chit, for the time being, but if you just assume they didn't uncover it first ~ then don't ever be surprised if they did considering their reach & history.
Posted on Reply
#37
lilunxm12
Did Intel warn Lenova or Alibaba before other US tech giants? If no, I don't understand what's the problem here.
Isn't this a standard practice that warn your close partners first and then roll out the disclosure to general public or government or (insert whatever here)?
Posted on Reply
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