https://forum.asrock.com/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:07:48 +0000 Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:30:53 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.04 360 https://forum.asrock.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=7974 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums_black.png https://forum.asrock.com/ https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47084&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47084 Author: wardog
Subject: 7974
Posted: 08 Mar 2018 at 1:30pm

Interesting System76's Lemur still has ME disabled

https://system76.com/laptops/lemur

<me> clutching my left gonad !
]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:30:53 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47084&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47084 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47083&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47083 Author: wardog
Subject: 7974
Posted: 08 Mar 2018 at 1:19pm

I'll bet my left gonad Intel tries their damnest is ceasing their practice.

Yes. Intel is notorious for stiff arming Co's that don't abide by their demands.

What's a manufacturer to do when Intel stops selling you the req'd chipsets but cease production?

They have their "ways'.
]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:19:01 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47083&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47083 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47079&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47079 Author: Beowulf
Subject: 7974
Posted: 08 Mar 2018 at 12:16pm

wardog wrote: I can all but guarantee you ASRock nor any other motherboard manufacturer will offer a Toggle for this as a BIOS Option. Period. No arguments. Intel would NOT allow it.

Intel has that much control over what BIOS options various motherboard manufacturers provide?  Sounds like a class action lawsuit needs to be filed to order the SEC to reign in Intel and stop them from restraining the free market with over-controlling licensing agreements.  Too powerful.

As evidence that resistance isn't futile, System 76 is already selling laptops with it disabled right now, and there's this from liliputing.com:

But independent researchers have recently discovered a way to disable the Intel Management Engine and companies including Google and Purism have already announced plans to do so.

Edited by Beowulf - 08 Mar 2018 at 12:22pm]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 12:16:10 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47079&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47079 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47051&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47051 Author: wardog
Subject: 7974
Posted: 08 Mar 2018 at 7:48am

I can all but guarantee you ASRock nor any other motherboard manufacturer will offer a Toggle for this as a BIOS Option. Period. No arguments. Intel would NOT allow it.


Having said that, it will be up to the end user to fudge this to occur.

The link you listed has to do with connecting a Rasberry-PI ??? Really?....WTF?

See here:
http://blog.ptsecurity.com/2017/08/disabling-intel-me.html

Mind you, you proceed at your own risk and accept FULL responsibilities should things hose up.




Edited by wardog - 08 Mar 2018 at 7:49am]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 07:48:20 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47051&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47051 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7974&PID=47026&title=feature-request-allow-disabling-of-intel-me#47026 Author: Beowulf
Subject: 7974
Posted: 08 Mar 2018 at 3:48am

To summarize the issue (from this website):

"Intel's Management Engine (ME) is a completely separate computing environment running on Intel chipsets that has access to everything. The ME has network access, access to the host operating system, memory, and cryptography engine. The ME can be used remotely even if the PC is powered off. If that sounds scary, it gets even worse: no one knows what the ME is doing, and we can't even look at the code. When -- not `if' -- the ME is finally cracked open, every computer running on a recent Intel chip will have a huge security and privacy issue. Intel's Management Engine is the single most dangerous piece of computer hardware ever created."

We are all aware of the public vulnerabilities which Intel has admitted, but it's likely NSA or others have toolkits for accessing it which have not been publicized nor patched.  In the interests of privacy, it would be desirable for this spyware to be disabled. 

The ME is actually used to boot the main CPU, but all the rest of its functionality can be removed by BIOS mods, such as are described here.

However, this would likely void Asrock's warranty.  Much better would be for Asrock to step up and implement this feature themselves, via either a BIOS configuration option, or an alternative BIOS.  It would be a selling point for Asrock over its competitors to provide a secure, non-pwnable platform.

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