[tor-talk] Intel ME / AMT + NSL vs Tor Nodes

[Joe Btfsplk]

On 12/17/2016 4:08 PM, Roman Mamedov wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Dec 2016 21:48:51 -0000
> "podmo" <podmo at sigaint.org> wrote:
>
>> It cannot be used to access all your data remotely. That
>> only works if you have all AMT features enabled, and you have a special
>> device called a BMC card plugged into your computer and connected to the
>> network.
> The whole point of Intel AMT is that you CAN manage your computer remotely
> without it having a separate BMC plugged in (e.g. see [1]). AMT itself is in
> effect an integrated BMC by its own. After that the entire "well-written,
> rational response" falls apart, the author clearly has not even a single clue
> of what he's trying to talk about.
>
> [1]
> http://support.radmin.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/9/9/How-to-set-up-Intel-AMT-features
>
I'm no expert on Intel ME capabilities (by any stretch), but from the 
little I read from more "professional" sources, it does provide ability 
to remotely access computers.
Assuming they have the expertise & required data access to it. Those 
professional sources could also have some things wrong, or partly 
wrong.  Confirmed technical details on this topic aren't exactly 
published on Intel's site.

If it gets to the point where it's common knowledge to every hacker how 
to even partially misuse the ME, then Intel will have made a grave 
business decision.  At that point, they'd have to discontinue it, 
perhaps give refunds for unusable computers or issue permanent fixes - 
to close the holes.  If it becomes common knowledge & they don't take 
drastic action, they'd suffer tremendously.  That's not to say they 
might not leave a better protected opening for government agencies.

What are all the countries - businesses, governments around the world 
going to do?  Buy computers that are open books to even 1 or 2 top level 
agencies of a few key "democratic" countries, much less hackers freely 
trading (Intel ME) "Both the keys and the toolchain, as well as the 
source code," as Podmo stated?
I doubt it.