7

I've just read this article, which claims that MI5 found backdoors in Lenovo built PCs:

Machines produced by the state-backed technology company, which is the largest PC producer in the world, are claimed to have been found in tests by MI5 and GCHQ to have modifications in their circuitry which could allow remote access to the devices without the owners’ knowledge.

Scientists are claimed to have identified highly-classified “back doors” in chips used in Lenovo machines which are extremely difficult to identify and could be activated remotely to either stop targeted computers working or access their contents.

Is this true?

Community
  • 1
Inglis Baderson
  • 171
  • 5
  • Given the history of such things coming out of Chinese factories (remember the Seagate harddisks and Sandisk USB sticks with trojans preinstalled, and the ATM payment terminals with preinstalled skimmer devices that were intercepted a few years ago, I'm sure there's articles to be found about them all) I wouldn't be at all surprised, but I've no evidence either way, let alone evidence it was by design of the factory owners and not some criminal gang infiltrating the production line. – jwenting Sep 28 '13 at 02:54
  • 1
    Given that this is a question about intent (the word "intentionally" is literally in the title), I don't think this question is on-topic. – Publius Sep 28 '13 at 07:30
  • indeed it isn't, and even if there's intent by someone in the company, is it the intent of the company? How can you ever know, what can ever placate the kind of person who holds such paranoid suspicions that it's not true what they believe? – jwenting Sep 28 '13 at 09:15
  • @Avi Thank you for you comment. I used 'intensionally' to indicate that the company should be doing this on purpose and not by mistake(if they did it). I didn't realize it made the question off-topic until I see you comment. I'll remove it. – Inglis Baderson Sep 28 '13 at 10:56
  • The problem seems not to be limited to Levono [Your Computer May Already Be Hacked -- NSA Inside?](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-blank/your-computer-may-already_b_3599084.html) and a german articel [Geheimdienste verbieten angeblich Lenovo-Computer](http://www.sueddeutsche.de/digital/potentielle-sicherheitsluecke-geheimdienste-verbieten-angeblich-lenovo-computer-1.1734821) – bummi Sep 28 '13 at 12:43
  • @jwenting It doesn't matter if we can't placate the person who holds such paranoid suspicions. Our audience is skeptics: people who are willing to change their mind to match the evidence. –  Sep 28 '13 at 14:50
  • @Sancho yet many here are anything but, and will only accept answers and comments that confirm their preconceived ideas. And that includes historically some of the moderators. – jwenting Sep 28 '13 at 16:42

0 Answers0