Everybody knows it, but nobody talks about it.
Most of new Intel chipsets have a deliberately built-in backdoor that allows :
- Remote access to your machine even when computer is turned off (but plugged to power & network socket). Intel's AMT is actually active when computer's power button is OFF.
- Hiding code of some apps & malware from the running system using sophisticated DRM scheme
- Installing a rootkit / trojan that cannot be removed even if the disk, RAM memory and BIOS are all wiped out clean.
- Run signed JAVA code outside of CPU !
What's more:
- It works outside of the control of CPU, system and BIOS
- It's closed source (obviously)
- Intel doesn't want to say how it works
- Intel (so NSA & US govt too) has secret keys, using which they can totally control your machine with totally no way of you detecting it
- It cannot be turned completely OFF (there is a BIOS switch, but as proven - it does not work fully)
Please upvote me on reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2ri5a9/if_you_are_using_newer_intel_mainboard_with_intel/ (reddit thread got silently mod-removed again !)
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Active_Management_Technology
https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/active-management-technology
http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/08/thoughts-on-intels-upcoming-software.html
http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/09/thoughts-on-intels-upcoming-software.html
Related:
Discussion on polish Bitcoin forum:
https://forum.bitcoin.pl/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=16562
One of polish biggest IT news sites:
http://www.dobreprogramy.pl/Komputery-z-procesorami-Intela-sa-kontrolowane-przez-Intela,News,60132.html
https://twitter.com/rosyna/status/550702351703875584
PS.
Intel has been working on this technology for over 15 years, so their hands are deep in shit. They cannot be trusted (unless they publish the private keys and the source of the binary blobs they built in their systems).
Proof:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Computing
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/06/25/why_intel_loves_palladium/
http://www.bluehaze.com.au/unix/palladium.html
(Yeah, this stuff is REALLY old, they have been working on screwing us over together with Microsoft for a looooooooong time)
EDIT:
Apparently for the remote control to work, you also need to have Intel network card, so not using any Intel network hardware should keep you safe - at least from remote attack.