Multiple online
user reports claim that the MantisTek GK2 mechanical keyboard's configuration software is sending data to an Alibaba server. One of the reports even includes an
analysis of the software’s traffic, which seems to include typed keys.
The MantisTek GK2 is a cheap RGB mechanical keyboard from China that costs half as much (or less) as the
mechanical keyboards from better known companies. Multiple gadgets that come from China seem to have either
poor security or
privacy issues caused by collecting user data without consumers' explicit permission. The MantisTek GK2 seems to be one of those products.
The main issue seems to be caused by the keyboard’s “Cloud Driver,” which sends information to IP addresses tied to Alibaba servers. Alibaba sells cloud services, so the data isn’t necessarily being sent to Alibaba, the company, but to someone else using an Alibaba server.
