4 ms·

For that you'd need to hack Intels infrastructure and get access to the private keys.

by W4ldi 4y ago

pabs3 4y ago
Probably the keys are on well-guarded offline HSMs.
- 5d8767c68926 4y ago
  Are there rules/standards for how these top secret keys are stored? HDCP, Mediavine, keys to the Internet, etc. Sure, you could keep it locked in a Scrooge McDuck security vault, but you need to be able to burn the key into hardware/software, meaning it ultimately needs to be distributed across many machines, greatly increasing the number of people with potential access.
  - cperciva 4y ago
    The public key needs to be in the CPU. The private key is only needed when Intel needs to sign new microcode.
    - pabs3 4y ago
      Isn't this an encryption key not a signing key? There are of course signing keys involved too though.
      - cperciva 4y ago
        There's both. The encryption (decryption) key has leaked. The original question was about "making your own microcode", for which you would need the (not leaked, and unlikely to leak) private signing key.
  - leetbulb 4y ago
    The security of these keys depend on the signing ceremony / ritual involved. Here's an example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yIfMUjv-UU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yIfMUjv-UU
    - exhilaration 4y ago
      That video deserves its own HN post
      - leetbulb 4y ago
        I agree, although it's been posted a few times already. In searching, I found a nice, and obligatory CloudFlare article on it: https://www.cloudflare.com/dns/dnssec/root-signing-ceremony/ https://www.cloudflare.com/dns/dnssec/root-signing-ceremony/
- hulitu 4y ago
  Or on an S3 vault somewhere.
  - tomrod 4y ago
    Terrifying.
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  > Probably the keys are on well-guarded offline HSMs I wouldn't be so sure... After hearing that American nuclear launch codes were all zeroes for decades, nothing surprises me.
  - the_third_wave 4y ago
    Those codes were intentionally zeroed to get around what was (most likely rightly so) considered to be a failure of the launch doctrine to take into account the possibility of the leadership being knocked out which would make a retaliatory launch impossible due to the lack of valid launch codes. I don't think Intel has such problems and I assume they are keen on keeping their microcode update process from being abused - it is not as if they don't have enough problems as it is.
kelseyfrog 4y ago
I'm creating a startup to do just that. There's both huge upside[$$$], but also some legal risk. If this appeals to you and you're an innovator in the social engineering space lmk.
- 10000truths 4y ago
  How exactly do you intend to accomplish this? Sneak into a data center and hack their build servers?
  - kelseyfrog 4y ago
  - bergenty 4y ago
    She doesn’t.
    - kelseyfrog 4y ago
      This is Hacker News, I'll remind you! Everyone is 100% serious 100% of the time.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

For that you'd need to hack Intels infrastructure and get access to the private keys.

by W4ldi 4y ago

For that you'd need to hack Intels infrastructure and get access to the private keys.

pabs3 4y ago

Probably the keys are on well-guarded offline HSMs.

5d8767c68926 4y ago
Are there rules/standards for how these top secret keys are stored? HDCP, Mediavine, keys to the Internet, etc. Sure, you could keep it locked in a Scrooge McDuck security vault, but you need to be able to burn the key into hardware/software, meaning it ultimately needs to be distributed across many machines, greatly increasing the number of people with potential access.
- cperciva 4y ago
  The public key needs to be in the CPU. The private key is only needed when Intel needs to sign new microcode.
  - pabs3 4y ago
    Isn't this an encryption key not a signing key? There are of course signing keys involved too though.
    - cperciva 4y ago
      There's both. The encryption (decryption) key has leaked. The original question was about "making your own microcode", for which you would need the (not leaked, and unlikely to leak) private signing key.
- leetbulb 4y ago
  The security of these keys depend on the signing ceremony / ritual involved. Here's an example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yIfMUjv-UU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yIfMUjv-UU
  - exhilaration 4y ago
    That video deserves its own HN post
    - leetbulb 4y ago
      I agree, although it's been posted a few times already. In searching, I found a nice, and obligatory CloudFlare article on it: https://www.cloudflare.com/dns/dnssec/root-signing-ceremony/ https://www.cloudflare.com/dns/dnssec/root-signing-ceremony/
hulitu 4y ago
Or on an S3 vault somewhere.
- tomrod 4y ago
  Terrifying.
pmoriarty 4y ago
> Probably the keys are on well-guarded offline HSMs I wouldn't be so sure... After hearing that American nuclear launch codes were all zeroes for decades, nothing surprises me.
- the_third_wave 4y ago
  Those codes were intentionally zeroed to get around what was (most likely rightly so) considered to be a failure of the launch doctrine to take into account the possibility of the leadership being knocked out which would make a retaliatory launch impossible due to the lack of valid launch codes. I don't think Intel has such problems and I assume they are keen on keeping their microcode update process from being abused - it is not as if they don't have enough problems as it is.

kelseyfrog 4y ago

I'm creating a startup to do just that. There's both huge upside[$$$], but also some legal risk. If this appeals to you and you're an innovator in the social engineering space lmk.

10000truths 4y ago
How exactly do you intend to accomplish this? Sneak into a data center and hack their build servers?
- kelseyfrog 4y ago
- bergenty 4y ago
  She doesn’t.
  - kelseyfrog 4y ago
    This is Hacker News, I'll remind you! Everyone is 100% serious 100% of the time.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]