Chinese entity accuses Intel chips of being a “threat to national security”

The China Cybersecurity Association (CSAC) accuses Intel of threatening the country’s national security, due to security flaws, vulnerabilities and even backdoors in its chips. The agency, formed by Chinese technology companies, is putting pressure on the government to carry out an extensive investigation into Intel products.

“It is recommended that a network security review be initiated on products that Intel sells in China, to effectively safeguard China’s national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers,” the CSAC stated.

The association cites newly discovered vulnerabilities as part of the problem. GhostRace, NativeBHI and Indirector are some of the names of flaws that would indicate “deficiencies in the quality of Intel products”.

A more severe accusation, however, is that Intel is facilitating spying on customers in China by installing remote access resources. In other words, the company would effectively be installing backdoors in its products sold in the country.

The parallel with the types of accusations US officials make to justify their sanctions against China is difficult to ignore, but CSAC does not directly mention the issue. “Intel has made substantial profits in China, but continues to take actions that harm China’s interests and threaten national security,” the entity concludes.

Restrictions in China could shake Intel to its core

It is important to emphasize, again, that CSAC is not an arm of the Chinese government, but is using its influence to pressure the country’s authorities to take action against Intel.

Precisely due to US sanctions against the territory, China already has enough difficulties in advancing its technologies, especially for AI processing. Restricting Intel products, such as Xeon, will further disrupt the area.