Leaks happen all the time and we rarely know exactly how this information gets out unless legal action is taken. Today, AMD has issued a statement regarding a leak that occurred back in December 2019, confirming that test files related to some current and future graphics products were stolen.
In December 2019, someone managed to steal IP from AMD and then posted some of that information on GitHub. This included code and information around current and future Navi GPUs. As reported by TorrentFreak, AMD issued a DMCA notice to GitHub to get the repository taken down. Soon after, AMD also issued a statement on the matter, confirming that the theft and subsequent leak occurred.
Here is AMD's full statement on the matter: “At AMD, data security and the protection of our intellectual property are a priority. In December 2019, we were contacted by someone who claimed to have test files related to a subset of our current and future graphics products, some of which were recently posted online, but have since been taken down.”
“While we are aware the perpetrator has additional files that have not been made public, we believe the stolen graphics IP is not core to the competitiveness or security of our graphics products. We are not aware of the perpetrator possessing any other AMD IP. We are working closely with law enforcement officials and other experts as a part of an ongoing criminal investigation.”
The perpetrator has not been identified at this time, but an investigation is ongoing and law enforcement is involved.
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KitGuru Says: We often think of leaks as a word of mouth incident but there can be some shadier tactics involved at times, as was the case here. Stealing trade secrets is always a serious matter, so we can likely expect updates on the investigation later down the line.