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.

    Experts: Flaw in Intel processors; how bad is it?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Ramzii, Dec 23, 2009.

  1. Ramzii

    Ramzii Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    263
    Messages:
    407
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I wonder, is Invisible Things Lab hired by Intel ? Do they get some kind of reward?
     
    Ramzii, Dec 23, 2009
    #1
  2. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    They might do - in the end its in Intel's interest to have some people pull their product apart to find security flaws.

    But is this a vulnerability in the processor or Chipset?

    First it speaks of processors... then lists Chipsets...
     
    DetlevCM, Dec 23, 2009
    #2
  3. weinter

    weinter /dev/null

    Reputations:
    596
    Messages:
    2,798
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    It is just a flaw in a feature you don't use period don't get too worried over it.
     
    weinter, Dec 23, 2009
    #3
  4. BrandonSi

    BrandonSi Notebook Savant

    Reputations:
    571
    Messages:
    1,444
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Here I was thinking that AMD had hired them.. Guess that's the cynic in me. :)
     
    BrandonSi, Dec 23, 2009
    #4
  5. Ramzii

    Ramzii Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    263
    Messages:
    407
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I think its located inside certain CPU's that are known to work with only the listed chipsets.

    And im not worried.. I dont even have those chipsets. :eek:
    I just wanted to share the problem and knowledge with people that may find it usefull. Quite interesting piece of info.
     
    Ramzii, Dec 23, 2009
    #5
  6. Partizan

    Partizan Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    241
    Messages:
    1,697
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    I didn't understand one word of it.
     
    Partizan, Dec 23, 2009
    #6
  7. __-_-_-__

    __-_-_-__ God

    Reputations:
    337
    Messages:
    1,864
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    56
    source: http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/
     
    __-_-_-__, Dec 23, 2009
    #7
  8. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Does that mean intel VT had a security loophole? (Post 7)
     
    DetlevCM, Dec 23, 2009
    #8
  9. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

    Reputations:
    4,740
    Messages:
    8,513
    Likes Received:
    3,823
    Trophy Points:
    431
    I heard for years that VT could be exploted by viruses and malware and was the reason a lot of manufactures disabled it.

     
    Tinderbox (UK), Dec 23, 2009
    #9
  10. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

    Reputations:
    5,398
    Messages:
    12,692
    Likes Received:
    2,717
    Trophy Points:
    631
    Tinderbox (UK),

    Sony marketing...
     
    tilleroftheearth, Dec 23, 2009
    #10
  11. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

    Reputations:
    4,740
    Messages:
    8,513
    Likes Received:
    3,823
    Trophy Points:
    431
    It has nothing to do with Sony :confused:

     
    Tinderbox (UK), Dec 23, 2009
    #11
  12. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Well, yes Sony was disabling it... but considering that most people don't need it - how many laptops are running Virtual Machines you think? Less than 10% possibly...

    And it wasn't only Sony.
     
    DetlevCM, Dec 23, 2009
    #12
  13. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

    Reputations:
    5,398
    Messages:
    12,692
    Likes Received:
    2,717
    Trophy Points:
    631
    tilleroftheearth, Dec 23, 2009
    #13
  14. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    8,389
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Well, maybe Sony is in the spotlight - especially with the high end machines, but I'm not sure I can pick a cheaper laptop off the shelf (with a supported processor) from any manufacturer an find the BIOS allows it via a simple option.
     
    DetlevCM, Dec 23, 2009
    #14
  15. ajreynol

    ajreynol Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    941
    Messages:
    2,555
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    ^ My most recent Bios update for my newish Vaio laptop (March '09) included Virturalization in the Bios. it's disabled by default but can be enabled in the normal way things can be enabled/disabled in a standard Bios.
     
    ajreynol, Dec 23, 2009
    #15
  16. lvnatic

    lvnatic Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    27
    Messages:
    353
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    So...can anyone translate what it says? Should i get worried about my CPU ?
     
    lvnatic, Dec 23, 2009
    #16
  17. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    801
    Messages:
    3,881
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    If the 4 or 5 similar problems over the past 20 years are any thing to go by, Intel will likely produce a micro-firmware update for the cpu, chipsets, or both and distribute that through the hardware makers.

    "Don't Panic"
     
    newsposter, Dec 23, 2009
    #17
  18. Ramzii

    Ramzii Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    263
    Messages:
    407
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    So, Win7 comes with the option to have VT to load up XP compatible software... correct? Microsoft added this new feature so that the largest OS out there could still continue to live on within our machines. But in practice how many people actually use it??
    Do you? And if you do, on what kinda software? Hell, I have Ultimate and I dont even know how to. :eek:
    So no, for now.. no need to panic.

    Still am curious to know if Intel hired that company, or was it a standalone project to test the chips.
     
    Ramzii, Dec 23, 2009
    #18