Millions of PC Motherboards Were Sold With a Firmware Backdoor

[J65nko]

From https://www.wired.com/story/gigabyte...ware-backdoor/:

Researchers at firmware-focused cybersecurity company Eclypsium revealed today that they’ve discovered a hidden mechanism in the firmware of motherboards sold by the Taiwanese manufacturer Gigabyte, whose components are commonly used in gaming PCs and other high-performance computers. Whenever a computer with the affected Gigabyte motherboard restarts, Eclypsium found, code within the motherboard’s firmware invisibly initiates an updater program that runs on the computer and in turn downloads and executes another piece of software.

While Eclypsium says the hidden code is meant to be an innocuous tool to keep the motherboard’s firmware updated, researchers found that it’s implemented insecurely, potentially allowing the mechanism to be hijacked and used to install malware instead of Gigabyte’s intended program. And because the updater program is triggered from the computer’s firmware, outside its operating system, it’s tough for users to remove or even discover.

[cohumat]

This just goes to show the lack of quality control that thees big business engage in in order to beat their compactors to market with their latest and greatest gadgetry. As the old adage states an-ounce or prevention prevents a pound of cure so roughly translated in to the technology services and hardware realm of our rapidly changing and technology dependent society. An ounce of quality control prevents a pound of recalls and public relations headaches.

[jmccue]

Hiding malicious programs in a computer’s UEFI firmware

From that quote, I guess it is active if you use UEFI. So far I have been able to avoid it and hope to continue that tradition

[blackhole]

Its is not a "quality control" problem per se...

"...the hidden code is meant to be an innocuous tool to keep the motherboard’s firmware updated, researchers found that it’s implemented insecurely, potentially allowing the mechanism to be hijacked..."

That is a hideous and unforgiveable problem in the design. Motherboard firmware should not be updated using that kind of mechanism.