A security analysis has revealed that some processor models of the US giant chip maker Intel hide a security breach that allows another person to take control of a computer even if the device is switched off.
This Bug leaves Intel-Run PCs At Risk Even If They Are Switched Off
For the last ten years, the last security hole that has just been discovered in Intel processors has been open. As a security analysis has revealed, some processor models of the US giant chip maker Intel hide a security breach that allows another person to take control of a computer even if the device is off!
It turns out that the website of the so-called Active Management Technology (AMT), the system management platform that Intel offers to enterprise equipment managers to facilitate the control of all PCs, hides a security hole that allows access Remote to all the computers on that network that incorporate a concrete model of processor. This page is designed to allow control of the mouse and the keyboard of the devices, as well as the ability to access the files on the computers that are turned off.
Despite the good intention with which this platform was designed in the day, it turns out that access to a default administrator account of a company that works with the Active Management Technology platform is as easy as leaving the password section blank. If the system administrator has not modified the default account that is enabled on this platform, all PCs in that network will be exposed to the risk of falling into this vulnerability.
At the moment, Intel has already confirmed that devices with a processor signed by the company that has been released to the market between 2010 and 2011 run the risk of falling into this security hole. The brand does not specify the exact number of affected devices, but the preliminary analyzes speak of a figure that would be around the 8,500 exposed equipment.
Computer scientists have discovered the vulnerability indicate that virtually any terminal with ports 16992/16993 open runs the risk of an attack through the website Active Management Technology (AMT).
Since the AMT platform was designed to facilitate the management of a company’s systems, this tool usually has all the necessary permissions to perform virtually any change in the PCs (and other devices) of a company. Because of this, anyone who gains access to a company’s AMT profile has the ability to erase, manipulate, and control employees’ devices even when they are off.
The ruling appears to be a sneak peek at the source code of the Intel AMT platform , which apparently was not programmed in the past considering the possibility of someone accessing a system remotely from open ports, and should not Affect any company that has modified the default account of “admin” that brings this platform activated.
For now, Intel has already provided an official scan tool so any system administrator can verify that their organization’s computers are at risk of a security attack through this vulnerability. In addition, companies like HP, Lenovo or Dell are already working on security updates for their PCs with the idea of closing the doors to this threat.
It is important to note that this threat does not affect Intel-based home devices, and it is only computers with professional versions of Windows that are exposed to this security hole, as Intel itself explains.
