Security researchers have discovered a new security flaw on Intel CPUs that “jeopardizes” Intel’s root of trust. According to security researchers at Positive Technologies, the new vulnerability affects Intel CPUs released in the past five years.
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 specialists Positive Technologies have found that a tiny gap in security in that module that could allow attackers to inject malicious code and, eventually, commandeer your PC.
However, due to a flaw in the CMSE subsystem, attackers with physical access to a computer can exploit the subsystem to execute malicious code that could run with the highest of system privileges. As a result, attackers who are able to exploit the flaw can get around DRM protections, and can potentially extract the chipset encryption key which could enable the attacker to carry out further attacks.
Intel has responded to the discovery and has already released patches to block one potential attack vector, stating that the flaw can only be exploited with physical access to the system. “Intel was notified of a vulnerability potentially affecting the Intel Converged Security Management Engine in which an unauthorized user with specialized hardware and physical access may be able to execute arbitrary code within the Intel CSME subsystem on certain Intel products,” a spokesperson for the company said.
Intel has found a number of vulnerabilities on its chips since the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities back in 2018. And although the latest flaw is a lot less significant than Meltdown/Spectre, it could still be a major threat for some. “This vulnerability jeopardizes everything Intel has done to build the root of trust and lay a solid security foundation on the company’s platforms,” claimed the security researchers.
