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from the One-ring-to-bring-them-all-and-in-the-darkness-bind-them... dept.
From Damien Zammit, we have this fun little tidbit:
Recent Intel x86 processors implement a secret, powerful control mechanism that runs on a separate chip that no one is allowed to audit or examine. When these are eventually compromised, they'll expose all affected systems to nearly un-killable, undetectable rootkit attacks. I've made it my mission to open up this system and make free, open replacements, before it's too late.
The Intel Management Engine (ME) is a subsystem composed of a special 32-bit ARC microprocessor that's physically located inside the chipset. It is an extra general purpose computer running a firmware blob that is sold as a management system for big enterprise deployments.
When you purchase your system with a mainboard and Intel x86 CPU, you are also buying this hardware add-on: an extra computer that controls the main CPU. This extra computer runs completely out-of-band with the main x86 CPU meaning that it can function totally independently even when your main CPU is in a low power state like S3 (suspend).
On some chipsets, the firmware running on the ME implements a system called Intel's Active Management Technology (AMT). This is entirely transparent to the operating system, which means that this extra computer can do its job regardless of which operating system is installed and running on the main CPU.
The purpose of AMT is to provide a way to manage computers remotely (this is similar to an older system called "Intelligent Platform Management Interface" or IPMI, but more powerful). To achieve this task, the ME is capable of accessing any memory region without the main x86 CPU knowing about the existence of these accesses. It also runs a TCP/IP server on your network interface and packets entering and leaving your machine on certain ports bypass any firewall running on your system.
Yeah, and I'm sure they pinky-swear never to allow the NSA access to any computer via it. I'll be using AMD from now on, slower or not, thanks.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 20 2016, @11:26AM
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/intel_microsoft_tracking.htm [theforbiddenknowledge.com]
Intel & Microsoft Are Tracking You Online
As Well As Your ISP
Whenever you turn on your computer, you are leaving a trail of your data information. This trail links you to documents, your tastes and web surfing habits, plus where you live and other information. Intel unveiled it's Pentium III chip which employees a Processor Serial Number ( PSN ). The encoded 96 bit number hard-wired chip traces any online communications to it's mother computer. The dreaded COOKIES on many web sights are embedded into your PC without your knowledge that can find out your password, name and web sights you have visited. Microsoft admitted that Windows 98 generates a fingerprint unique to identify you known as GUID. This GUID is generally hidden in Office 97 Word, Excel, and Power Point programs. What makes this most disturbing is every time you visit www.microsoft.com, this program scans your PC automatically and gathers information without your knowledge. It's not enough that Intel & Microsoft make billions in sales to it's customers, but even after they have dipped into your pocket they now have the technology to dip into your privacy and your PC without you even knowing it. A Web security guru named Richard Smith stated a web sight & your ISP has copy logs of everything you view, download, send via e-mail plus even talks in the various chat rooms you frequent. Your ISP in most cases will gladly hand over any information to law enforcement and not put up much of a fight. When two or five agents walk into a Internet Service Providers place of business and demand information of certain customers, even without a search warrant, that is pretty intimidating (that's why they get away with it) and the ISP will gladly work with them to avoid all the legal hassles. In One case in September 1999, Michael Rostoker, a San Jose engineer and patent attorney was arrested for trying to pay $150,000 to engage in sex with a 13 year old Vietnamese girl. Officials seized e-mail between Rostoker and the girl by serving a search warrant on Rostoker's e-mail provider, Hot Mail.
The e-mail, the affidavit states, shows that the two have engaged in sex on several occasions. Now my point is that what ever you send over the Net via e-mail, whether it is criminal or not, ( Including cyber sex) it is being recorded and accessed by legal or illegal means.
Most people are so naive when they surf the Internet or engage in IRC, Chat Rooms, Sending of e-mail or files to one another. John Catlett, president of Junk busters Corporation in Green Brook, NJ stated, " Many people feel that surfing the web is anonymous as watching television or reading the paper, it's more like wandering around a trade show and leaving your name tag on it for others to view. " The White House and many government agencies collect your internet address every time you visit one of their web sites with out your knowledge. They claim the collected data purpose is for catching hackers and terrorists, who then can be tracked to their ISP provider. This may be one purpose, but the main purpose is collecting and building a government profile on it's citizens. With a little persistence you can find out a person's identify and history within hours. Now their are many sites like http://www.anonymizer.com/that [anonymizer.com] can mask your identity, but Michael Lambert, a security expert stated, " If your not going to show me who you really are, then why should I let you surf or visit a certain web site? " Many web sites take the ISP address of these anonymous identity services and block out anyone who tries and enter their site.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 20 2016, @06:18PM
They make the world safe for women and see men as bags of shit.