Intel: We put a CPU inside your CPU, so you can CPU while you CPU

Hardware CPU
1

I’m not sure how late to the party I am, I couldn’t check news for the last week, and I just read a couple articles about it (links bellow), but HOLLY SHIT, can we talk about how recent Intel chips (2008-) all have a hidden internal CPU (on which you have no access btw) running a fully pledged Minix 3 (yes Minix) complete with network stack and web server ?! …

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE: Minix is running on Ring -3, that’s a ‘minus 3’ (tbh I didn’t know what it was first, but apparently all your user programs only run on Ring 3, the lowest your OS gets is Ring 0 for the kernel)

So to recap: fully pledged CPU out of your control, running Minix with a web server all with more control over your hardware than your actual OS ever dreams of…

can you even call it a backdoor when it is a huge gate with flaming signs and blow horns?

I guess I gotta brush up on my soldering skills and build my own CPU out of discrete transistors…

Articles:
Techdirt
Networkworld

1 Like
2

You can join a growing thread here - Intel Management Engine successfully hacked via USB

I also started a shorter one, but I later linked back to the main thread (see above)

1 Like
3

Heading to that thread, and thanks for the reddit post link.
would you look at those vulnerability scores, weew…

1 Like