Another possibility is a tailored-access type attack further upstream the supply chain. For example, Apple relies on Samsung or TSMC to fab chips. It's possible the chips could be modified before manufacture, or after, to contain a flaw. I've read about such attacks demonstrated in principle already. There was a worry about the Chinese government executing such attacks for example.
One of the downsides of the way global manufacturing works today that there's so many stages in which components can be intercepted.
You don't know that the device you bought actually consists of unmodified versions of the components that were part of the original design.
Could the NSA partner with the Korean government and Samsung to put a backdoor into components? I wouldn't rule it out.
One of the downsides of the way global manufacturing works today that there's so many stages in which components can be intercepted.
You don't know that the device you bought actually consists of unmodified versions of the components that were part of the original design.
Could the NSA partner with the Korean government and Samsung to put a backdoor into components? I wouldn't rule it out.