The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Intel Management Engine vulnerability - VULNERABLE

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by _sem_, May 4, 2017.

  1. _sem_

    _sem_ Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    100
    Messages:
    776
    Likes Received:
    271
    Trophy Points:
    76
    Just to let you know that the Intel-SA-00075 Discovery Tool says: the System is VULNERABLE
    XPS 15 9550, ME version: 11.0.18.1002
    A table indicates 5th gen Core needs ME 11.0.25.3001, 6th gen Core 11.6.27.3264, etc.
    The most recent update at Dell support for the 9550 is 11.5.0.1020, for the 9560 11.6.0.1047.
    I'm not sure if a remote exploit is possible. But a local exploit (gaining elevated access otherwise) is bad enough, because it is undetectable/unwipable by any antivirus, the wet dream of every hacker.

    https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26755
    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-amt-vulnerability-me-dangerous,34300.html
    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/01/intel_amt_me_vulnerability/
    https://arstechnica.com/security/20...ecution-bug-that-lurked-in-cpus-for-10-years/
     
    hmscott, pressing and GoNz0 like this.
  2. pressing

    pressing Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    404
    Messages:
    1,985
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Trophy Points:
    181
    Your tax dollars at work!
     
  3. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    7,110
    Messages:
    20,384
    Likes Received:
    25,139
    Trophy Points:
    931
    How to check for the Intel Active Management exploit that lets hackers take over your PC
    By Gordon Mah Ung
    EXECUTIVE EDITOR, PCWORLD | MAY 9, 2017 3:25 AM PT
    http://www.techconnect.com/article/...loit-that-lets-hackers-take-over-your-pc.html

    " How to find out whether your PC is safe
    While the vast majority of consumer PCs probably don't have the exploit, it wouldn't hurt to take five minutes to check your system.

    First, download Intel's tool to check for the vulnerability. You can also click this link to download it from Intel directly. It's listed as supporting Windows 10 and Windows 7, but we had no issues running it on Windows 8.1.

    Once you've downloaded it, decompress the zip file to a folder. Open the folder, then open its Windows subfolder. Inside you'll find several files. Launch Intel-SA-00075-GUI.exe."

    INTEL-SA-00075 Detection Guide
    Version: 1.0 (Latest) Date: 5/3/2017
    https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26755
    https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...ntel.com/26755/eng/Intel-SA-00075_1.0.1.6.zip
     
  4. GoNz0

    GoNz0 Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    259
    Messages:
    3,947
    Likes Received:
    1,378
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Glad to see the 9560 on the latest BIOS is safe :)
     
  5. dg1261

    dg1261 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    95
    Messages:
    88
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    16
  6. GoNz0

    GoNz0 Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    259
    Messages:
    3,947
    Likes Received:
    1,378
    Trophy Points:
    231
    hmscott likes this.
  7. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    7,110
    Messages:
    20,384
    Likes Received:
    25,139
    Trophy Points:
    931
    It's still working for me :)

    Right click on the URL and "copy address" not Copy, as that won't get the whole URL - you'll get the "..." ellipses instead of the correct "whole" URL:

    Dell Client Statement on Intel AMT Advisory (INTEL-SA-00075)
    http://www.dell.com/support/article...n-intel-amt-advisory--intel-sa-00075-?lang=EN
     
  8. Thiblizz

    Thiblizz Guest

    Reputations:
    0
    Actually nobody is "safe", cause the Intel ME is still present in your BIOS, they just fixed the actual issue.
    The Intel ME is a major security breach on every single computer, and people/medias are just discovering it now.

    Just wait till we really start a massive deployment of BIOS level Rootkits, people will realise how much Intel ****ed everyone up.

    Do not believe that those systems are meant to enhance user security and are useful for system administrators.
    This is an illusion.
    Do not wonder... government agencies are behind it.

    Proprietary systems, etc. Will never be safe, as you will never really know what is inside it.
    The future is open source!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2017
  9. Schmoo2k

    Schmoo2k Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    27
    Messages:
    201
    Likes Received:
    53
    Trophy Points:
    41
  10. Althernai

    Althernai Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    919
    Messages:
    2,233
    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    66
    The XPS 15 9560 also has a firmware update (1.3.3, released yesterday and marked as "urgent") addressing this. I just installed it and the installation went without problems (caveat: 1.2.4 also worked fine for me, but it gave some people problems so if you're updating from before that, be aware of the Fn diagnostic BIOS trick).
     
  11. GoNz0

    GoNz0 Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    259
    Messages:
    3,947
    Likes Received:
    1,378
    Trophy Points:
    231
    9560 BIOS updated without issue this time.
     
  12. _sem_

    _sem_ Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    100
    Messages:
    776
    Likes Received:
    271
    Trophy Points:
    76
    pressing and Papusan like this.
  13. Althernai

    Althernai Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    919
    Messages:
    2,233
    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    66
    I suspect what Dell meant was that the Intel Active Management software which allows for the exploitation of this flaw is not installed by default on the XPS 15 (at least I can't find it on my 9560). It is of course a terrible idea to rely on the software configuration to mask a problem in the BIOS so everyone should update, but I suspect most XPS 15 machines are not in any immediate danger.