Slashdot Mirror
Can Intel's 'Management Engine' Be Repurposed?
Long-time Slashdot reader iamacat writes:
Not a day goes by without a story about another Intel Management Engine vulnerability. What I get is that a lot of consumer PCs can access network and run x86 code on top of UNIX-like OS such as Minix even when powered off.
This sounds pretty useful for tasks such as running an occasional use Plex server. Like I can have a box that draws very little power when idle. But when an incoming connection is detected, it can power itself and the media drive on and serve the requested content.
The original submission ends with an interesting question. "if Intel ME is so insecure, how do I exploit it for practically useful purposes?"
This sounds pretty useful for tasks such as running an occasional use Plex server. Like I can have a box that draws very little power when idle. But when an incoming connection is detected, it can power itself and the media drive on and serve the requested content.
The original submission ends with an interesting question. "if Intel ME is so insecure, how do I exploit it for practically useful purposes?"
Many many years ago there was an exploit called "Back Orifice" which was more properly named "Cult of the Dead Cow". It was quite ingenious and had a very small surface area. I knew a few fellow admins that blocked the exploit at their firewall but then used it for remote management because it was memory/network efficient and supported all of their needs better than any third-party company could.
Risk v.s. Reward is always prevalent. Good luck on your efforts.