3 ms·

Features like Intel ME were actually requested by major IHVs, like Dell/HP etc. VISA is a debug system you need ring 0 access to use. In contrast, Qualcomm/Int

Features like Intel ME were actually requested by major IHVs, like Dell/HP etc. VISA is a debug system you need ring 0 access to use. In contrast, Qualcomm/Intel clients like Apple are very concerned to not have magic backdoors (Apple bought Intel's bandband IP and team recently, supposedly to make their own 5G chip). In any case, there are plenty of garden variety vulnerabilities in bandband chips, no need for NSA voodoo.

beagle3 7y ago
Yes, some users find them somewhat useful. That does not explain the complete lack of documentation, access keys, and the inability to turn it off under any circumstances. It is possible that this is not and has not been used as a back door. But why is that so implausible?
- angry_octet 7y ago
  Intel ME could have been used as a backdoor in a circumstance where they knew it wouldn't be analyzed, but that is a small percentage of jobs. Really only when you know a JDAM is coming through the roof soon after, or it's a no fail type of mission, i.e. taking over NK ground control during a missile launch. It isn't going to be wasted trying to hack the Kremlin, where everything gets logged. For baseband chips, I haven't heard of Qualcomm having these types of interfaces at all. Fleet management happens via MDM at the iOS/Android level. I don't think NSA would be able to coerce Qualcomm to introduce a huge feature like ME in secret, and besides that isn't their MO, there would be a standards process etc. I really don't think something like that could be kept completely under wraps, and then as soon as you used it once it would be burnt. Chinese chipsets not so sure. So far Huawei has so many bugs in everything they have implausible deniability. Like dozens of level 10, full RCE exploits. That's a good reason to ban them.

3 ms·

Features like Intel ME were actually requested by major IHVs, like Dell/HP etc. VISA is a debug system you need ring 0 access to use. In contrast, Qualcomm/Int

by angry_octet 7y ago

beagle3 7y ago
Yes, some users find them somewhat useful. That does not explain the complete lack of documentation, access keys, and the inability to turn it off under any circumstances. It is possible that this is not and has not been used as a back door. But why is that so implausible?
- angry_octet 7y ago
  Intel ME could have been used as a backdoor in a circumstance where they knew it wouldn't be analyzed, but that is a small percentage of jobs. Really only when you know a JDAM is coming through the roof soon after, or it's a no fail type of mission, i.e. taking over NK ground control during a missile launch. It isn't going to be wasted trying to hack the Kremlin, where everything gets logged. For baseband chips, I haven't heard of Qualcomm having these types of interfaces at all. Fleet management happens via MDM at the iOS/Android level. I don't think NSA would be able to coerce Qualcomm to introduce a huge feature like ME in secret, and besides that isn't their MO, there would be a standards process etc. I really don't think something like that could be kept completely under wraps, and then as soon as you used it once it would be burnt. Chinese chipsets not so sure. So far Huawei has so many bugs in everything they have implausible deniability. Like dozens of level 10, full RCE exploits. That's a good reason to ban them.