Apple, Amazon deny report China used tiny chips to hack into their networks

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A top-secret US investigation found that a tiny chip, not much bigger than a grain of rice, was inserted inside servers by Super Micro Computer (Supermicro) as these were being manufactured in China, according to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek. These chips would allow attackers to create a stealth doorway into any network that used the compromised servers. Supermicro has denied the matter, the report said. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 8:29pm, 4 Oct 2018Updated: 9:44am, 5 Oct 2018

Apple and Amazon.com have denied a Bloomberg report on Thursday that their systems contained malicious computer chips inserted by Chinese intelligence, statements from the two technology companies released separately by the news agency showed.

Bloomberg Businessweek cited 17 unnamed intelligence and company sources as saying that Chinese spies had placed computer chips inside equipment used by around 30 companies, as well as multiple US government agencies, which would give Beijing secret access to internal networks.

Reuters was unable to reach Apple and Amazon, as well as representatives with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security Agency and National Security Agency for comment.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Thursday. Beijing has previously denied allegations of orchestrating cyberattacks against Western companies.

Amazon, in a statement published by Bloomberg, said: “We’ve found no evidence to support claims of malicious chips or hardware modifications.”

Amazon subsidiary Amazon Web Services, which provides on-demand cloud computing platforms, was described in the Bloomberg story as having known about the malicious chips and working with the FBI to investigate the matter.