Hacking News
AI Chip Smugglers Exploit Export Loopholes to Move Banned HBM to China
AI chip smugglers have found a way around US export controls by repackaging high-bandwidth memory (HBM) made by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix alongside low-end server processors. The memory is then sold on for various uses, including Huawei's AI systems. The smuggling method involves mounting the HBM on a substrate board and declaring it under the classification of the accompanying server processor, not the memory itself. The research indicates that the most prominent buyer category is Huawei's AI systems, including the Ascend 960DT.