I am thinking about the security problem on open wifi, my computer could get hacked when connect to unfamiliar open hotspot. I wonder if it would be safer to use USB dongle instead of the build in wifi, so that the best the hacker can do is to see the dongle and it's MAC instead of seeing the internal wifi of the computer and go deeper ? I know nothing about the hacking thing, just a random thought pops up on my mind.

Network stack where all the hacking takes place is independent from the underlying hardware. Hardware driver vulnerabilities are theoretically possible but are not related to the bus and too specific to be used at random, so no difference at all.

If I were to use an open hotspot, I'd be more likely to use a live distro, loaded to ram, on a machine with no internal drive, thereby giving hackers nothing to play with.

Rouge wi-fi hackers are more interested in stealing credentials than compromising a machine.

Not knowing anything about your machine, but chances are, Yes, it is safer to go with a removable usb wifi.

Because (depending on your hardware) many devices with built-in wifi have that wifi integrated into the bios, and can have remote management capabilities which you can not disable, and which bypasses all Os and Sw level protections. How to exploit that remote management is well-known to hackers, they can remotely manage your hardware in minutes.

If you are using usb wifi, then they would need to find a weakness in your Os/Sw.

Tinfoil hat level of nonsense.

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Thank guys, I got a basic idea now !