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Intel SPI Flash Flaw Lets Attackers Alter or Delete BIOS/UEFI Firmware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Catalin Cimpanu, writing for BleepingComputer: Intel has addressed a vulnerability in the configuration of several CPU series that allow an attacker to alter the behavior of the chip's SPI Flash memory -- a mandatory component used during the boot-up process [1, 2, 3]. According to Lenovo, who recently deployed the Intel fixes, "the configuration of the system firmware device (SPI flash) could allow an attacker to block BIOS/UEFI updates, or to selectively erase or corrupt portions of the firmware." Lenovo engineers say "this would most likely result in a visible malfunction, but could in rare circumstances result in arbitrary code execution."

3 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Not another.. by gweihir · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Industry-wide patching it is. And now that security researchers are finally looking at hardware again, expect more of these. For one thing is sure: Intel has been doing an exceptionally bad job the last decade or so, possibly because they believed to have won the game.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  2. Please bring back BIOS update jumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I am tired of having to rely on software security measures that will inevitably not work. Give me a fucking switch to turn off write access in hardware. The IT industry sucks.

    1. Re: Please bring back BIOS update jumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Speakers attached to an external amplifier can't be abused as microphones.