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Is there an equivalent to IME for AMD and/or Apple M-class processors (that would similarly benefit from disabling for home user)?

by r00fus 4y ago

arprocter 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processo...
GuB-42 4y ago
The equivalent for AMD CPUs is called the Platform Security Processor (PSP). I am not aware of a way to disable it. I don't know about Apple CPUs but they definitely have co-processors running besides the main CPU. In fact, many people talk about the IME but the practice of having proprietary systems with their own privileged hardware is the norm nowadays. Another example is the "baseband" processor in phones, it is a complete proprietary system with its own processor, OS, etc... and it controls the modem, among other things.
oarmstrong 4y ago
I’d like to know more about AMD specifically too. I’m well aware that PSP is their equivalent but there seems to be so little information out there about it. Is it really an equivalent? Is it as bad as ME? Can it be disabled? Does it have the same level of access as ME? Have their been any exploits of it yet? The wikipedia page is rather bare. There’s a couple of papers linked to but frankly they go over my head. Is there any respectable analysis out there?
- EMM_386 4y ago
  > I’d like to know more about AMD specifically too. I’m well aware that PSP is their equivalent This is why I'm curious and get a little into conspiracy-land with this stuff. Neither are exactly "well documented", they both arrived on the scene around the same time. It makes one wonder if there was a specification they were told to follow. That's why I'm very curious if Apple's new chips follow a similar "specification". Sorry, I mean "feature set".
chasil 4y ago
AMD relies on ARM's Trustzone to do this. "The PSP itself represents an ARM core with the TrustZone extension which is inserted into the main CPU die as a coprocessor." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processo...
keepquestioning 4y ago
Apple has Secure Enclave. Who knows what that's doing.

Is there an equivalent to IME for AMD and/or Apple M-class processors (that would similarly benefit from disabling for home user)?

by r00fus 4y ago

Is there an equivalent to IME for AMD and/or Apple M-class processors (that would similarly benefit from disabling for home user)?

arprocter 4y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processo...

GuB-42 4y ago

The equivalent for AMD CPUs is called the Platform Security Processor (PSP). I am not aware of a way to disable it. I don't know about Apple CPUs but they definitely have co-processors running besides the main CPU. In fact, many people talk about the IME but the practice of having proprietary systems with their own privileged hardware is the norm nowadays. Another example is the "baseband" processor in phones, it is a complete proprietary system with its own processor, OS, etc... and it controls the modem, among other things.

oarmstrong 4y ago

I’d like to know more about AMD specifically too. I’m well aware that PSP is their equivalent but there seems to be so little information out there about it. Is it really an equivalent? Is it as bad as ME? Can it be disabled? Does it have the same level of access as ME? Have their been any exploits of it yet? The wikipedia page is rather bare. There’s a couple of papers linked to but frankly they go over my head. Is there any respectable analysis out there?

EMM_386 4y ago
> I’d like to know more about AMD specifically too. I’m well aware that PSP is their equivalent This is why I'm curious and get a little into conspiracy-land with this stuff. Neither are exactly "well documented", they both arrived on the scene around the same time. It makes one wonder if there was a specification they were told to follow. That's why I'm very curious if Apple's new chips follow a similar "specification". Sorry, I mean "feature set".

chasil 4y ago

AMD relies on ARM's Trustzone to do this. "The PSP itself represents an ARM core with the TrustZone extension which is inserted into the main CPU die as a coprocessor." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Platform_Security_Processo...

keepquestioning 4y ago

Apple has Secure Enclave. Who knows what that's doing.