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Ask Slashdot: Is Non-USB Flash Direct From China Safe?

Posted by timothy on from the ask-all-its-previous-partners dept.

Dishwasha (125561) writes I recently purchased a couple 128GB MicroSDXC card from a Chinese supplier via Alibaba at 1/5th the price of what is available in the US. I will be putting one in my phone and another in my laptop. A few days after purchased, it occurred to me there may be a potential risk with non-USB flash devices similar to USB firmware issues. Does anybody know if there are any known firmware issues with SD or other non-USB flash cards that could effectively allow a foreign seller/distributor to place malicious software on my Android phone or laptop simply on insertion of the device with autoplay turned off?

4 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. OBInSovietRussia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, girlfriend claps tablet.

  2. Re:don't worry about it by bscott · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah - I worked for a gadget retailer and was asked to test some 8GB flash sticks several years ago.

    You could write 8GB to them, but anything past the first 4GB returned a read error.

    My boss called the supplier in Shenzen to yell at them - "How could you do this?" Their response: "I don't understand - you SAID you wanted the best price?!"

    --
    Perfectly Normal Industries
  3. Re:don't worry about it by plover · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's an anti-TARDIS card -- it's smaller on the inside.

    --
    John
  4. Re:"From China"?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    By the way, would a "Made in Russia" tag be a worse or better?

    I dunno. I'd suppose it be likely to get drunk, slap its wife, invade Ukraine, and then break.