Windows 10: Intel Issues Updates to Protect Systems from Security Exploits

Also like to know what you mean by that? They share instruction sets, but that's about it. Intel owns the rights to the x86 instruction set and AMD owns the rights to the AMD64 instruction set. They cross license from each other. That's my understanding anyway. The innards of the CPU are quit different though.

 

Looks like my ARM powered Raspberry Pi's are safe. *Tongue And I think my AMD powered desktops are OK too. Reading this stuff just makes my head hurt. *Think

 

I got the Win 10 update yesterday, however I found a "ME" (Management Engine) update on my ASUS motherboard downloads listed under a BIOS update. I went around in circles as it would not install. Checked for a BIOS update, via the update utility in my ASUS BIOS and it did a BIOS update but it didn't affect the ME version (I was at 11.6,10,1196). I found a post on the Dell forum an Intel Management Engine Interface Driver utility had to be run first. I did that and then installed the ASUS ME update and my ME Version was updated to 11.8.50.3399. I ran the Intel ME Discovery tool and it shows my system "is not vulnerable it has already been patched".

I don't know if this relates to the Intel CPU issue but it is an issue for many.

 

I'm still sorting things out and found yesterday the same ME update and a new BIOS update with microcode in it for this Asus Z-170 Pro. Here is an article from Asus on this subject.

 

My ASUS Z170 board is a ROG Maximus VIII. But the listed ASUS ME update would not install until I installed the Intel Management Engine Interface Driver Utility. The BIOS update from 3101 to 3404 did nothing for the ME version. It was all very confusing until I found the post on the Dell Forum

"figured it out. there are two updates required for all this Intel chip issue, Intel_ME_Firmware_Updater32_Cons_H_11.8.50.3425 & Intel-Management-Engine-Interface-Driver_7CDG2_WIN_11.7.0.1054_A02.
they are both listed here: http://www.dell.com/.../dell-client-...ntel-sa-00086-
You have to install the firmware one first, which updates your BIOS. then the Management Engine one. should work fine then. the ones listed are for my alienware 17R, yours might be a different name but the basics are the same, update the BIOS first, then the IMEI Driver."

 

I understood the sequence of BIOS, driver, then the Asus utility, but I cannot find a utility driver for my system. I have updated the BIOS to 3504 but am still looking for this utility driver update before installing the Asus ME update. It appears to be the usual thing where Asus refers to Intel, and Intel to Asus. Call me still confused.

 

My AMD chip has been trashed by it. Only just switched to Windows 10 and absolutely sick of it. The december update trashed my graphics card and having finally bought an "emergency" replacement they trash my processor chip the very same day with the forced January update) so now the whole thing is ready for the tip/dump/rubbish. (whatever anyones local terms might be) I pity everyone in less fortunate parts of the world in the same situation. It's not just AMD either according to the reports in the computer press. No notifications, no communications, no end of life warnings, just forced updates that break your computer. Four solid days and long nights trying to get my computer working again only to find out that Microsoft broke it - TWICE !!. Appalling!

 

I just checked Gigabyte and there is a microcode update for my MB. Here is the title

Intel Management Engine Interface
(Note) Please update the latest BIOS for ME Firmware before installing this driver.
Update Intel ME for security vulnerabilities
OS: Windows 8.1 64bit,Windows 7 64bit,Windows 7 32bit,Windows 10 64bit

This was issued on 11/30/2017

 

Here is the link to Intel and the Management Engine Interface driver.
Download Intel® Management Engine Consumer Driver for Intel® NUC Kit NUC5i3RY, NUC5i5RY, NUC5i7RY, NUC5i3MY

 

I did come across that page while doing searches but I took it as the ME update for an Intel NUC. Asus has a lot of ME updates for their laptops but none specific for simply their motherboards like a Z170 Pro. Is this driver OK to use for this MB, is it the ME driver you installed? Still don't know what to install and the software to detect vulnerability says my system is so.

Edit: From what I can see this ME driver is customized for each system by the motherboard manufacturers and is why I'm being careful about just what driver I install.

 

ME you get as a BIOS update as it is an operating system on the CPU.
MEI or Management Engine Interface you get either through Windows Update(or update it if you already have it through Device Manager), or as a driver download from your PC(for laptops & off the shelf pre-built desktops) and motherboard OEM.

 

It’s totally confusing. Mine is an ASUS Z170 pro gaming on old 2015 BIOS 0802. Struggling to grasp exactly what is needed to be done. There are references to BIOS, references to management engine interface. I’ve seen that things need to be done in specific order somewhere too. I’m sure the average computer user has little chance of figuring this out. I don’t think I am prepared to mess about with things like the BIOS so Intel and MS really need to sort this out fully via a software/windows update full fix.

I know it’s a different thing but there was a big fuss at start of 2016 over skylake and some kind of bug requiring an urgent microcode fix through BIOS updates from motherboard manufacturers. I never applied it choosing to stay with the BIOS shipped and my machine has never stuttered or had a problem because of this. I kind of wonder if the BIOS / interface updates maybe overkill for the average user

 

Hi,

You need the appropiate firmware update for your cpu. Often OEMs then also update other parts of the UEFI/BIOS and package it as an executable that runs the flashing routine.
But in essence the FW update of MEI suffices to resolve this vulnerability.
As @Cliff S correctly explained updating drivers alone does nothing to resolve this vulnerability as the problem resides within the mini-OS that's running in a micro-processor inside Intel CPUs supporting MEI (and AMT for corporate systems)

Cheers, *Wink

 

Cliff, I have the latest Windows Update on the system and yesterday updated the BIOS from the Asus site yet the detection software still says this system is vulnerable. I looked on the Asus Z170 Pro DVD that came with the mobo and find an MEI directory with KB hotfixes but these appear to apply to Windows 7 rather than 10.

 

Hi,
@wordsworth :

See my posting just above yours. But keep in mind that only resolves the MEI vulnerability and not the CPU ones like Spectre and Meltdown.

Cheers, *Wink