UK's Cyber Security Agency Supports Apple's Denial That Chinese Spies Infiltrated iCloud Servers

[Mr. Retrofire]

Just based on the size and pin out of the chip the story told by Bloomberg is impossible. That chip does not have the needed pin outs to intercept anything between the central processor and the system memory.

If their pictures are to be believed (and I doubt it but lets just assume they are) then the chip is next to the BMC on the motherboard which is used for remote administration. Think AST2500 for example. In which case it could talk to the BMC through serial or another low bandwidth connection including USB etc

Low bandwith serial connection? You mean such "low bandwidth" connections like PCIe?

And the MR member who said they need separate access to the North- or Southbridge: No, they do not need that, because they are usually integrated in the CPU package.

Such chips can write and read whatever they want. Just like drivers for network cards, graphics cards, ... There is no hardware which stops such attacks. The Thunderbolt attacks of the past years are real. Why not this attack?

 

[StellarVixen]

RIP Bloomberg.

 

[chown33]

If this thing existed they would have the chip, they’d have had it delaminated, and could describe precisely how it performs its magical functions.

I designed cpus for exponential, sun, and AMD, and I couldn’t have snuck this stuff into the cpu itself without it being noticed, and even then it probably couldn’t do everything this supposed chip supposedly did.

That's because you're not the Chinese Military.

Although your user name does begin with cm, so maybe you are, and you're sowing disinformation.

<Do I really need to put a smiley here? Mr. Poe suggest I should.>

 

[MN7119]

And we are OK with everything we buy being made in China. Great!!!!!!!!

 

[lixuelai]

Bloomberg has lost a lot of credibility here.

Your move, Bloomberg.

Either Bloomberg got facts wrong, or Apple and Amazon are blatantly lying in a way that will shatter their credibility.

I have no way of knowing which of those is the truth. I just know that Apple has not lied in this way before, while Bloomberg has been guilty of sloppy reporting more times than I can count when it comes to Apple.

So while I’m willing to be proven wrong, my assumption is that Bloomberg allowed their anti-Apple bias to lead them into wrong reporting (again).

Also to add to your point, Apple and Amazon lying have serious consequences. Just look at how much the SEC fined Musk for a tweet...and that is from his personal account. Knowingly releasing false information constitute securities fraud and people can and have been jailed over it.

On the other hand Bloomberg can always use journalistic privilege to deny responsibility. The fact that Apple and Amazon came out so firmly against this report, without leaving themselves any wriggle room, makes this story sound very suspect. It is a shame as I've always considered Bloomberg to be a quality source.

 

[Wando64]

China sucks.

Why? You don't like their food?
I mean, everybody is saying that this story is fake so what is the issue?

 

[Solomani]

RIP Bloomberg.

There's still Reuters.

 

[Nicky G]

This is a story that could only have been believed by a reporter ie: someone who is smart enough to think they understand how computers work, but not smart enough to understand how computers work.

Let's put it this way: if you were going to put this magic chip onto a motherboard, what would it be connected to? And how would you hide it? Circuit board design isn't a random tangle of leads wandering around the board. They need to be where they are due to routing and physics. For network access, you need to connect that chip to something that is connected to a network. And power. And a clock. And if it does all of the stuff it says in the article it needs direct lines into the CPU, network card, and possibly the north/southbridge. That means a whole bunch of traces that magically appeared on a motherboard - and nobody noticed.

Yeah, right. That's complete BS. Even a lights-out manager (LOM), which allows access when the power is out, requires a whole lot of connections. Noticeable connections. You can't really hide this kind of stuff.

I would highly recommend:

1) Reading the Bloomberg article, which goes into some detail about the alleged hardware hack, including pictures.

2) Take a look at some of the more respected hardware hacker sites and forums, where people who know in detail about these subjects are talking about the story. General story is that they seem to mostly be coming down on the side of this at least being possible, and also something smart security people have been worried about for years.

 

[BvizioN]

But how do all these detailed denials and factual analyses override my moronic conspiracy theory that says everyone is lying except the source who told businessweek the truth? Clearly the first amendment is a sham and the US government is compelling Apple to lie instead of allowing them to merely keep their mouths shut. And certainly these chips have magic superpowers and can do things that lib tard chips can’t do. And certainly the only reason Apple is lying is because they are controlled by a China and don’t worry about the SEC fine when the truth comes out. Oh, wait. That’s two contradictory reasons. Well that just somehow proves my idiotic point.

Of course, you are spot on.
Because you know what? Bloomberg does not lie. It is not that they ever have, right?
Oh wait.....
They would use all the dirty tricks to pull spectacular eye catching headlines and I personally would trust them just as much as I trust politicians or cooperations.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

And we are OK with everything we buy being made in China. Great!!!!!!!!

You can't stop globalization! Even the discovery of Americas is a direct result of globalization.

 

[Vasilioskn]

China sucks.

China is why most Americans can afford things also

 

[Nicky G]

Supermicro will sue Bloomberg literally out of existance, Hulk Hogan style.

If they don’t, that would sure be telling I think.

 

[Solomani]

Yeah, they couldn’t possibly be denying the article because it is simply wrong.

“You’re a witch, and the very fact that you deny you’re a witch proves it! - Burn her!”

But does she float like a duck?! Or does she sink?

 

[MN7119]

Yes, as long as we are ready to know what exactly we are buying from them. China is not what I would call a partner of the US so importing everything from them with no control is risky.

You can't stop globalization! Even the discovery of Americas is a direct result of globalization.

 

[Wando64]

And we are OK with everything we buy being made in China. Great!!!!!!!!

Why shouldn't we be?
Did you actually read the article and what everybody involved is saying about this?

 

[cmaier]

And we are OK with everything we buy being made in China. Great!!!!!!!!

Yes. Why not? Then we can do jobs that pay more than screwing parts together 10 hours a day.

 

[Wando64]

China is one of those 50/50 places to me where horrible is quite horrible and great is quite great.

A bit like the US?

 

[Solomani]

A bit like the US?

Exactly like the US.

 

[FrenchRoasted]

This is ridiculous. These "U.S. Officials" are just downright neanderthals if they think you can just replace any chip. They don't even understand how a motherboard works and the amount of work it would take to rework the traces on the motherboard to accommodate any modifications like this. You'd be crazy not to notice.

Only way this could happen is to have the rogue chip designed in at the very beginning of the product life cycle. That requires a lot of conspiracy theory to believe.
But let's not mention the real, confirmed spying being done by the NSA on any and all communications it can get its slimy fingers on.

 

[npmacuser5]

How many servers would need compromising to infect a server farm? If done properly, only a small fraction of the production boards would need modifying. Finding them, needle in the haystack. Interesting concept.

 

[tzm41]

I still think the writer just took some pages from Ghost Fleet and expanded on that...

 

[GadgetBen]

There you have it. Confirmation from MI5 and 007

 

[Markoth]

We run a server. Incredible amount of hack attempts logged. Mostly always from China. Probably the biggest cyber threat in the world.

I'm still trying to figure how I can block any IP from China pre-emptively.

You can download firewall blacklists online. Up to you to integrate it, although that isn't really difficult.

 

[dogslobber]

Who can trust the brits? Their spy agencies have been riddled with double agents for the last 75 years so they can't be trusted.

 

[T Coma]

But how do all these detailed denials and factual analyses override my moronic conspiracy theory that says everyone is lying except the source who told businessweek the truth? Clearly the first amendment is a sham and the US government is compelling Apple to lie instead of allowing them to merely keep their mouths shut. And certainly these chips have magic superpowers and can do things that lib tard chips can’t do. And certainly the only reason Apple is lying is because they are controlled by a China and don’t worry about the SEC fine when the truth comes out. Oh, wait. That’s two contradictory reasons. Well that just somehow proves my idiotic point.

All that doesn't matter. What does matter, however, is that an accusation was made. And when an accusation fits some group's political agenda, then physical evidence, corroboration, supporting testimony, or any semblance of proof is not required - just an accusation. Guilty until proven innocent. Seriously! Just check with most celebrities!

Case closed.