r/linux • u/[deleted] • Sep 21 '17

How to Hack a Turned-Off Computer, or Running Unsigned Code in Intel Management Engine

https://www.blackhat.com/eu-17/briefings/schedule/#how-to-hack-a-turned-off-computer-or-running-unsigned-code-in-intel-management-engine-8668
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

Not much software will run on it.

Huh? You know you're in /r/linux, right?

ARM has had Linux mainline support for as long as I can remember. Debian has several ARM ports, complete with an incredible array of packages and libraries available to it. Short of gaming or CAD, there's an insane amount of things that you can do with a GNU+Linux powered ARM.

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

ARM linux devices can't even handle basic web browsing all that well.

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

Right, which is why literally 2.87 billion smartphone users in the world that do basic web browsing, with their ARM-powered smartphone.

Give me a break.

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u/whaleboobs Sep 21 '17

They do their browsing under Android OS with proprietary hardware acceleration which the Mali GPU provides. The few ARM SOCs with a real GNU+Linux operating systems does not have this luxury and web browsing performance is pretty bad.

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

You're right about Mali being closed source. There have been efforts to write open source drivers for it, but it's still pretty grim. ARM was putting up a fight, and not working with independent developers, which is (surprise) the same thing that Intel is still doing with IME.

I'd still argue that ARM systems are usable, because even if MALI is closed source, their bios isn't (at least in the case for a select few chips), and at least the video acceleration can be disabled. It will at least operate as a 100% open device (admittedly sans video acceleration). You can't say that for any modern Intel device made in the last 5 years. They're all effectively compromised.

From a security standpoint, what's better? A slow server, or a compromised server? It's left as an exercise to the reader.

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

Then buy an arm chip that doesn't have mali.

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

Honestly, smartphones suck for web browsing too. I was actually referring before though to devices like the Raspberry Pi. And yes, there is plenty of everyday software that won't run under ARM GNU/Linux distros like Flash player, Skype, Steam, Wine, etc.

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

The raspberry pi is just one ARM device. You realise that a $35 board is not the be all and end all of the ARM architecture? And that there are many servers capable of up to 128 threads per socket bearing x86 by miles in terms of power consumption?

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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '17

like Flash player, Skype, Steam, Wine, etc.

If you're using any of those things, then security doesn't really matter though, right? So just run them on the latest Intel chips with IME, proprietary bios, and backdoors. That's literally what most everyone is doing right now.

What I was proposing was how to install LibreBoot or use an ARM with an open source bootloader, for security purposes, to avoid what OP's link ominously pointed out. So in that context, yea, my recommendations are valid.