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Perhaps it’s a workaround for Amazon’s commingled-stock problem. Third party can’t override Secure Boot to install a root kit and then return the laptop in a wa
by derefr 5y ago
Perhaps it’s a workaround for Amazon’s commingled-stock problem. Third party can’t override Secure Boot to install a root kit and then return the laptop in a way that ends up with it commingled with “new” stock, if third parties can’t write to CMOS memory in the first place.
(Of course, they could still install a “hard mod” root kit by e.g. reflashing the BIOS through its JTAG pins, or just desoldering it and soldering on something else. But that requires a much higher tier of resources, one that also enables other classes of attacks that don’t involve putting the stock back into the first-party warehouse.)
- adriancr 5y agojust wondering if its legal to sell returned products as new. I thought they were sold as refurbished/second chance with a discount.
- cortesoft 5y agoEven if it is illegal, lots of sellers on Amazon break the law... and since they co-mingle inventory from different sellers, one bad seller trying to pass off returns as new could contaminate every seller's products.
- fomine3 5y agoThis looks plausible. Also swap and return fraud can be blocked by this restriction.