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

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?

Comments

don't worry about it

[frovingslosh]

Don't worry about it. If you got it through Alibaba it is almost certain to be a counterfeit card with the size and even brand name printed on failing rejected cards, and it will have no better chance of retaining malware than it will have of holding your own data. I know a couple of people who bought through Alibaba that this happened to.