this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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Ian Cutress muses upon rumors around SiFive, the forerunner of high-performance RISC-V cores.

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[โ€“] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think it's so much "security by obscurity" as it's an issue of a much lower bar for chip production. Intentional back doors or malware represent a huge risk for a product line, so manufacturers won't put them in without someone like the NSA leaning on them. It's a simple risk/benefit calculation.

But the risk is much lower if you can snag a processor design off the 'net, make your modifications, send it off to a fab and sell it under a fly-by-night operation. If it's ever discovered, you take the money and run.