Chinese state media flags security risks in Nvidia H20 chips

Chinese state media has raised security concerns over Nvidia’s H20 chips, citing potential backdoor risks.

The claims were made by Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account linked to state broadcaster CCTV, which also criticized the chips as not technologically advanced or environmentally friendly.

Nvidia developed the H20 AI chips for China following US export restrictions in late 2023.

The US banned sales of the chips to China in April 2025 but reversed the decision in July.

China’s cyberspace regulator met with Nvidia on July 31 to seek clarification over possible security vulnerabilities.

Nvidia said its products do not contain backdoors that allow unauthorized remote access or control.

The comments follow similar criticism from People’s Daily, which called for Nvidia to provide clear evidence of the chips’ security for Chinese users.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Security vulnerabilities in Nvidia chips have emerged before

China’s current security concerns about Nvidia chips align with the company’s documented history of hardware vulnerabilities.

In 2018, Nvidia acknowledged that its chips were affected by the Spectre security flaw, which exploits speculative execution to allow unauthorized access to sensitive information1. The disclosure caused Nvidia’s stock to fall 1.31% as markets reacted to the security revelation.

Earlier instances also demonstrated potential security risks. In 2007, security researchers showed how Nvidia’s GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU could accelerate password cracking compared to traditional CPUs, reducing complex password cracking timelines significantly2.

These precedents suggest that Chinese officials’ demands for “convincing security proofs” could reflect legitimate technical considerations, given Nvidia’s track record of hardware vulnerabilities affecting core security functions.

2️⃣ Semiconductor tensions reflect broader US-China strategic competition

The H20 chip controversy sits within escalating US-China semiconductor rivalry that has intensified significantly in recent years.