Nvidia Denies 'Backdoor' Claims as China Raises Security Concerns Over H20 Chips

Nvidia denies 'backdoor' claim after China raises security risk

Chinese authorities have summoned U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp. over alleged security vulnerabilities in its H20 processor, a move that could complicate the company's efforts to re-enter the Chinese market just as Washington and Beijing struggle to make progress on a renewed trade truce. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) called Nvidia representatives to a meeting to discuss "serious security risks" tied to its H20 AI chip, Bloomberg reported, citing a statement from the internet watchdog.

Nvidia's Jensen Huang hauled before China's cyber cops to explain 'backdoor safety risks' in H20 chips

China's cyberspace regulators on Thursday summoned Nvidia over security concerns that its H20 chips can be tracked and turned off remotely, the Cyberspace Administration of China said on its website. In the meeting, Chinese regulators demanded that the U.S. chip company provide explanations on "backdoor safety risks" of its H20 chips to be sold in China and submit relevant materials, the office said. "Cybersecurity is critically important to us. NVIDIA does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," an Nvidia spokesperson said in a statement to AP. It came just about two weeks after the Trump administration lifted the block on the computing chips and allowed Nvidia to resume sales of H20 chips to the Chinese market. Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, made the announcement with fanfare when he was in Beijing earlier this month. The latest episode appears to be another turbulence in the tech rivalry between the United States and China, which have left businesses in both countries tussling with governments over market access and national security concerns. Any safety concern by Beijing could jeopardize the sale of H20 chips in China. Citing unnamed U.S. AI experts, the Chinese regulators said Nvidia has developed mature technology to track, locate and remotely disable its computing chips. The regulators summoned Nvidia to "safeguard the cybersecurity and data security of Chinese users," in accordance with Chinese laws, the statement said. The statement also referred to a call by U.S. lawmakers to require tracking and locating capabilities on U.S. advanced chips sold overseas. In May, Rep. Bill Huizenga, R.-Michigan, and Rep. Bill Foster, D.-Illinois, introduced the Chip Security Act that would require high-end chips to be equipped with "security mechanisms" to detect "smuggling or exploitation." The bill has not moved through Congress since its introduction. Foster, a trained physicist, then said, "I know that we have the technical tools to prevent powerful AI technology from getting into the wrong hands." The U.S. still bans the sale to China of the most advanced chips, which are necessary for developing artificial intelligence. Both countries aim to lead in the artificial intelligence race. The Trump administration in April blocked the sales of H20 chips, which Nvidia developed to specifically comply with U.S. restrictions for exports of AI chips to China. After the ban was lifted, Nvidia expected to sell hundreds of thousands more H20 chips in the Chinese market. But the easing of the ban has raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill. On Monday, a group of top Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to express their "grave concerns". While chips like the H20 have differing capabilities than the most advanced chips such as Nvidia's H100, "they give (China) capabilities that its domestically-developed chipsets cannot," the senators wrote. Shortly after the ban was lifted, Rep. John Moolenaar, R.-Michigan, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, objected. "The Commerce Department made the right call in banning the H20. Now it must hold the line," Moolenaar wrote in a letter to Lutnick. "We can't let the CCP use American chips to train AI models that will power its military, censor its people, and undercut American innovation," Moolenaar wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party by its acronym.

Nvidia says no 'backdoors' in chips as China questions security

Nvidia chips do not contain "backdoors" allowing remote access, the US tech giant has said, after Beijing summoned company representatives to discuss "serious security issues." The California-based company is a world-leading producer of AI semiconductors, and this month became the first company to hit $4 trillion in market value. But it has become entangled in trade tensions between China and the United States, and Washington effectively restricts which chips Nvidia can export to China on national security grounds. "Cybersecurity is critically important to us. Nvidia does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," Nvidia said in a statement Thursday. A key issue has been Chinese access to the "H20" -- a less powerful version of Nvidia's AI processing units that the company developed specifically for export to China. Nvidia said this month it would resume H20 sales to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had halted exports. But the tech giant still faces obstacles -- US lawmakers have proposed plans to require Nvidia and other manufacturers of advanced AI chips to include built-in location tracking capabilities. Beijing's top internet regulator said Thursday it had summoned Nvidia representatives to discuss recently discovered "serious security issues" involving the H20. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it had asked Nvidia to "explain the security risks of vulnerabilities and backdoors in its H20 chips sold to China and submit relevant supporting materials". China is aiming to reduce reliance on foreign tech by promoting Huawei's domestically developed 910C chip as an alternative to the H20, said Jost Wubbeke of the Sinolytics consultancy. "From that perspective, the US decision to allow renewed exports of the H20 to China could be seen as counterproductive, as it might tempt Chinese hyperscalers to revert to the H20, potentially undermining momentum behind the 910C and other domestic alternatives," he said. Other hurdles to Nvidia's operations in China are the sputtering economy, beset by a years-long property sector crisis, and heightened trade headwinds under US President Donald Trump. CEO Jensen Huang said during a visit to Beijing this month that the company remained committed to serving local customers, adding that he had been assured during talks with top Chinese officials that the country was "open and stable".

Nvidia says no 'backdoors' in chips as China questions security

Beijing (AFP) - Nvidia chips do not contain "backdoors" allowing remote access, the US tech giant has said, after Beijing summoned company representatives to discuss "serious security issues". The California-based company is a world-leading producer of AI semiconductors, and this month became the first company to hit $4 trillion in market value. But it has become entangled in trade tensions between China and the United States, and Washington effectively restricts which chips Nvidia can export to China on national security grounds. "Cybersecurity is critically important to us. Nvidia does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," Nvidia said in a statement Thursday. A key issue has been Chinese access to the "H20" -- a less powerful version of Nvidia's AI processing units that the company developed specifically for export to China. Nvidia said this month it would resume H20 sales to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had halted exports. But the tech giant still faces obstacles -- US lawmakers have proposed plans to require Nvidia and other manufacturers of advanced AI chips to include built-in location tracking capabilities. Beijing's top internet regulator said Thursday it had summoned Nvidia representatives to discuss recently discovered "serious security issues" involving the H20. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it had asked Nvidia to "explain the security risks of vulnerabilities and backdoors in its H20 chips sold to China and submit relevant supporting materials". China is aiming to reduce reliance on foreign tech by promoting Huawei's domestically developed 910C chip as an alternative to the H20, said Jost Wubbeke of the Sinolytics consultancy. "From that perspective, the US decision to allow renewed exports of the H20 to China could be seen as counterproductive, as it might tempt Chinese hyperscalers to revert to the H20, potentially undermining momentum behind the 910C and other domestic alternatives," he said. Other hurdles to Nvidia's operations in China are the sputtering economy, beset by a years-long property sector crisis, and heightened trade headwinds under US President Donald Trump. CEO Jensen Huang said during a visit to Beijing this month that the company remained committed to serving local customers, adding that he had been assured during talks with top Chinese officials that the country was "open and stable".

Nvidia says no 'backdoors' in chips as China questions security

Nvidia, the US tech giant, says its chips are secure. This comes after Beijing questioned the security of Nvidia's H20 chips. China is worried about potential backdoors. Nvidia assures that there are no remote access vulnerabilities. China aims to reduce reliance on foreign tech. Huawei's 910C chip is promoted as an alternative. Nvidia remains committed to serving Chinese customers. Nvidia chips do not contain "backdoors" allowing remote access, the US tech giant has said, after Beijing summoned company representatives to discuss "serious security issues". The California-based company is a world-leading producer of AI semiconductors, and this month became the first company to hit $4 trillion in market value. But it has become entangled in trade tensions between China and the United States, and Washington effectively restricts which chips Nvidia can export to China on national security grounds. "Cybersecurity is critically important to us. Nvidia does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," Nvidia said in a statement Thursday. A key issue has been Chinese access to the "H20" -- a less powerful version of Nvidia's AI processing units that the company developed specifically for export to China. Nvidia said this month it would resume H20 sales to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had halted exports. But the tech giant still faces obstacles -- US lawmakers have proposed plans to require Nvidia and other manufacturers of advanced AI chips to include built-in location tracking capabilities. Beijing's top internet regulator said Thursday it had summoned Nvidia representatives to discuss recently discovered "serious security issues" involving the H20. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it had asked Nvidia to "explain the security risks of vulnerabilities and backdoors in its H20 chips sold to China and submit relevant supporting materials". China is aiming to reduce reliance on foreign tech by promoting Huawei's domestically developed 910C chip as an alternative to the H20, said Jost Wubbeke of the Sinolytics consultancy. "From that perspective, the US decision to allow renewed exports of the H20 to China could be seen as counterproductive, as it might tempt Chinese hyperscalers to revert to the H20, potentially undermining momentum behind the 910C and other domestic alternatives," he said. Other hurdles to Nvidia's operations in China are the sputtering economy, beset by a years-long property sector crisis, and heightened trade headwinds under US President Donald Trump. CEO Jensen Huang said during a visit to Beijing this month that the company remained committed to serving local customers, adding that he had been assured during talks with top Chinese officials that the country was "open and stable".

China state media says Nvidia must provide 'security proofs' to regain trust - The Economic Times

The commentary appeared a day after Beijing raised concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia's H20 artificial intelligence chip, casting uncertainty over the company's sales prospects in China weeks after a US export ban was reversed.Nvidia must produce "convincing security proofs" to eliminate Chinese users' worries over security risks in its chips and regain market trust, a commentary published by China's state-run media People's Daily said on Friday. Foreign companies must comply with Chinese laws and take security to be a basic prerequisite, said the commentary - titled "Nvidia, how can I trust you?" - which was published on the paper's social media account. In a statement sent to Reuters, an Nvidia spokesperson reiterated that "cybersecurity is critically important to us". "NVIDIA does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," the spokesperson said. The commentary appeared a day after Beijing raised concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia's H20 artificial intelligence chip, casting uncertainty over the company's sales prospects in China weeks after a US export ban was reversed. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet regulator, said it was concerned by a US proposal for advanced chips sold abroad to be equipped with tracking and positioning functions. The regulator said it had summoned Nvidia to a meeting to explain whether its H20 AI chip had any backdoor security risks, as it was worried that Chinese user data and privacy rights could be affected. A backdoor risk refers to a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls.

China state media says Nvidia must provide 'security proofs' to regain trust

BEIJING (Reuters) -Nvidia must produce "convincing security proofs" to eliminate Chinese users' worries over security risks in its chips and regain market trust, a commentary published by China's state-run media People's Daily said on Friday. Foreign companies must comply with Chinese laws and take security to be a basic prerequisite, said the commentary - titled "Nvidia, how can I trust you?" - which was published on the paper's social media account. In a statement sent to Reuters, an Nvidia spokesperson reiterated that "Cybersecurity is critically important to us". "NVIDIA does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them," the spokesperson said. The commentary appeared a day after Beijing raised concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia's H20 artificial intelligence chip, casting uncertainty over the company's sales prospects in China weeks after a U.S. export ban was reversed. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet regulator, said it was concerned by a U.S. proposal for advanced chips sold abroad to be equipped with tracking and positioning functions. The regulator said it had summoned Nvidia to a meeting to explain whether its H20 AI chip had any backdoor security risks, as it was worried that Chinese user data and privacy rights could be affected. A backdoor risk refers to a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls. (Reporting by Beijing NewsroomEditing by Ros Russell)