Intel: Unpatchable Security Flaw Found In Chips During Boot-Up

The chips are vulnerable during boot-up, so they can't be patched with a firmware update.

Security researchers have discoveredanotherflaw in recent Intel chips that, while difficult to exploit, is completely unpatchable. The vulnerability is within Intel's Converged Security and Management Engine (CSME), a part of the chip that controls system boot-up, power levels, firmware and, most critically, cryptographic functions. Security specialistsPositive Technologieshave found that a tiny gap in security in that module that could allow attackers to inject malicious code and, eventually, commandeer your PC.

The vulnerability is another in a string of Intel chip flaws that have damaged the chipmaker's reputation of late. In 2018, Intel faced heavy criticism over theMeltdown and Spectreflaws in Intel chips that could have allowed attackers to steal data.

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