Sure, could, may, it is possible, it is easy, etc., but nothing that proves specifically that the specific counterfeit NIC is actually a risk. As the article s

Sure, could, may, it is possible, it is easy, etc., but nothing that proves specifically that the specific counterfeit NIC is actually a risk. As the article says, a compromised NIC is a security risk, but no proof of that NIC being compromised (nor that it is actually easier to compromise it). And I would expect that an hostile government would have their own counterfeit NIC's: 1) better copied/marked/silkscreened 2) gave iPXE working on them exactly like the originals i.e. not easily recognizable. Even more specifically, I seemingly quickly found on Alibaba a "legitimate" NIC (in the sense that has no fake Intel marks) that looks very like the given specimen. So the counterfeiters can buy those and put the fake Intel markings on them, reselling them for double or triple the cost, why would they change anything else?