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from the you-might-have-paid,-but-it's-not-your-computer dept.
Over at Hackernews is a link to a discussion on how the Intel Management Engine (ME) is preventing screenshots, by bypassing the host CPU.
If you're on an Intel machine that you've purchased in the past 2-3 years, that computer almost certainly has an Intel Management Engine. You might not know what that is, and that's okay. You may also be unaware that the operating system on your computer could be leveraging features in the Intel Management Engine when consuming DRM Media.
This links to a blog posting on the Intel ME in response to Rosyna Keller's twitter posting about being unable to take screenshots from Netflix (The Rosyna of the article title).
The core of the technical detail is taken from Igor Skochinsky's presentation on the ME (PDF Link) . The article raises the questions over the position of the ME in the system and the security implications of the ME subverting the host machine hardware outside of the main processor:
Given that the ME sits in a position where it can configure the chipset and operate on the PCI bus, there are some serious security implications here I wish I could mitigate. Among them is the ability of the ME to run arbitrary code on the host CPU via option ROMs or presenting a disk-drive to boot from. Also among those abilities is the possibility to perform DMA to access host CPU memory. And another one is the ability to configure and use PCI devices present in the system (such as the ethernet card).
(Score: 1) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday January 04 2015, @07:05PM
If not then my next CPU will be an AMD.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 04 2015, @09:29PM
amd is doing the same thing, embedding an arm core to provide the same functions.
(Score: 4, Informative) by tibman on Monday January 05 2015, @02:34AM
AMD uses an open standards equivalent to IME that is called DASH. Not many AMD motherboards have DASH at the moment. You can opt out of the feature like you would opt out of onboard video or onboard wireless.
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(Score: 4, Informative) by Hairyfeet on Monday January 05 2015, @04:51PM
No they do not. As one poster mentioned there is a handful that utilize the FOSS DASH spec and there is a couple APUs coming out for business that will have an ARM Cortex DRM they licensed from ARM awhile back but those are 1.- Entirely optional, 2.- You have to go out of your way to buy chips and boards that support it, and 3.- This tech is not on, nor is it targeting, their mainstream offerings.
As someone who has been building AMD exclusively for years I urge you to not believe the bullshit rigged benchmarks [youtube.com] but instead look at real world testing [youtube.com] which will show you a different picture. You can get the FX6300 for just $109 and if you keep an eye out I've been getting the FX8300 for around $120 and both of those chips are real monsters, they multitask like you would not believe. But anybody whose used AMD chips for awhile can tell you this, hell my Phenom II X6 I have at home for gaming is nearly 6 years old yet blows through games like Shadows of Mordor and is a transcoding beast. Don't buy the "ZOMFG an AMD will blow through teh power!" bullshit either as a few tests with killawatt will show you it would take nearly 18 years just to break even [youtube.com] due to how much more you'd spend on an Intel of equal performance.
Finally if you're the type that cares about FOSS support? AMD supports the Coreboot foundation, pays several developers who work on the FOSS drivers to help them reach parity quicker, and since buying ATI has been opening the specs as fast as their lawyer can sign off on the docs with the only parts not being opened the parts they do not own like Intel's HDCP. So if you want serious bang for the buck with FOSS friendly hardware that isn't loaded with DRM? Try AMD.
Oh and anybody that wants a kick ass HTPC? Try pairing the new Socket AM1 duals and quads [newegg.com] with OpenELEC or Windows 8. Its the same core used on the new PS4 and XB-One and if you use OpenELEC you can build a nice media tank for less than $150 shipped, and that is for a quad! Oh and for those that hate Windows 8? Normally I agree 110% but the one place I've found Metro actually nice to use is as a 10 foot UI, those big tiles make it easy to use with a one handed remote. I've been using these chips for awhile now and they're great, low power HTPCs, office boxes, hell I even slapped one in a large beige box full of drives for a client who is using it for a low power file and backup server. It works great and is low power enough it can just be shut in a closet and forgotten about, great little chips.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.