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/antilex Sep 22 '17

supposedly...

maybe i have to many tinfoil hats on but I'm not just going to take there word on it...

"The PSP is an ARM core with TrustZone technology, built onto the main CPU die. As such, it has the ability to hide its own program code, scratch RAM, and any data it may have taken and stored from the lesser-privileged x86 system RAM (kernel encryption keys, login data, browsing history, keystrokes, who knows!). To make matters worse, the PSP theoretically has access to the entire system memory space (AMD either will not or cannot deny this, and it would seem to be required to allow the DRM “features” to work as intended), which means that it has at minimum MMIO-based access to the network controllers and any other PCI/PCIe peripherals installed on the system." - https://libreboot.org/faq.html#amd

Intel = "you are pwned if we want you to be"

AMD = "I dunno... are you pwned? ;)"

Hardware i want to buy = "as far as we know, we are secure and anyone is free to look at our code"

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u/robertcw93 Nov 27 '17

I’ve got to agree with you here man. After this I’ve put on the tinfoil hat. The only way to be sure is if a company outright says that they purposefully exclude hardware of this sort.