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it's a closed-source binary blob on intel chipsets with unfettered access to the CPU. it is also (often) directly connected to the RJ45 port. here's a good ove
by woodrowbarlow 10y ago
it's a closed-source binary blob on intel chipsets with unfettered access to the CPU. it is also (often) directly connected to the RJ45 port.
here's a good overview of the risk: http://hackaday.com/2016/11/28/neutralizing-intels-management-engine/ http://hackaday.com/2016/11/28/neutralizing-intels-managemen...
- pmoriarty 10y agoSo if you don't use the RJ45 port on the motherboard but instead use an RJ45 port on an expansion card instead you're safe?
- mschuster91 10y agoPartially. Expansion cards use PCI-E which has DMA capability, so a bug/backdoor in their firmware can very well be used to attack a system. But I believe newer systems with MMUs acting as "firewalls" for DMA are safe from this vector.
- woodrowbarlow 10y agothere's also the concern of physical attacks, via the motherboard's RJ45 or USB.
- mschuster91 10y agoAt least USB doesn't have device-initiated DMA, but USB descriptor parsing bugs have in the past led to exploits (I remember the PlayStation jailbreak).
- pmoriarty 10y agoA good argument to epoxy those ports shut, if you're really worried about that.