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How is it not a backdoor? Just because it's unintended or due to a very complex reason doesn't mean it's not one.
by q3k 8y ago
How is it not a backdoor? Just because it's unintended or due to a very complex reason doesn't mean it's not one.
- wmf 8y agoNot every security vulnerability is a backdoor. (The Intel ME isn't a backdoor either.)
- bdamm 8y agoYou're being either overly generous to Intel or you're underestimating how well funded some of the espionage organization really are. And consider that for decades espionage organizations have been taking advantage of bugs in commercial products. This is so well documented at this point that it's not even worth arguing. Personally I believe this has been going on since the '70's.
- wmf 8y agoWell-funded espionage organizations can exploit almost everything, so almost everything is a backdoor? Is that a useful definition?
- hellbanner 8y ago"Thieves can break windows so there's no need to lock your doors". Fallacy.
- hellbanner 8y agoWhat is a backdoor? A set of secret instructions that lets you get control or access over target machine. Exactly what this is. Re-read the README.
- drb91 8y agoWell, if it's a documented feature, I'd call it that. You don't call "single user mode" a backdoor. Granted, you can disable single user mode.
- cryptonector 8y agoI'd call it a glaring design flaw. And if very, very few users might notice that documentation, then I'd call it a backdoor hidden in plain sight. For all intents and purposes it really is a backdoor.
- phs318u 8y agoAccording to the datasheet, this is by design: "The mechanism for initiating execution of this alternate set of instructions is as follows: 1. Set the FCR ALTINST bit to 1 using WRMSR instruction (this is a privileged instruction). This should be done using a read-modify-write sequence to preserve the values of other FCR bits. 2. The ALTINST bit enables execution of a new x86 jump instruction that starts execution of alternate instructions. This new jump instruction can be executed from any privilege level at any time that ALTINST is 1." So to turn on the ability to execute ring-0 non-x86 instructions from ring 3, requires an initial privileged instruction. I believe (from other commenters) that the issue arises because some of the cpu's left the fab with ALTINST set to 1 by default. Meaning, no privileged instruction required. Clearly, that's a fuck-up somewhere.
- newnewpdro 8y agoCouldn't resist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahcVp8vIicI&t=20s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahcVp8vIicI&t=20s
- jackhack 8y agoNot a backdoor; more accurately described as "lack of a door".