Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

0mnious
Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

That is not "official EVGA" this needs to be provided by motherboard OEM.

nlodeserto

ilukeberry

0mnious
Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

That is not "official EVGA" this needs to be provided by motherboard OEM.

and IT'S NOT THE ME FIRMWARE, but the driver.
 
in any case, I already tried to bring the issue to the attention of this forum months ago, but evidently no one was interested, especially no one at EVGA.
And before anyone says that ME firmware updates can be forced, I remind you that each BIOS must be written for a specific ME and vice versa.

Exactly this is not the firmware. We are all using outdated Microcodes for the CPUs multiple updates outdated, and outdated ME firmware that has security vulnerabilities. I wonder if Intel requires their board partners/suppliers to provide this support? 

nlodeserto

ilukeberry

0mnious
Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

That is not "official EVGA" this needs to be provided by motherboard OEM.

and IT'S NOT THE ME FIRMWARE, but the driver.
 
in any case, I already tried to bring the issue to the attention of this forum months ago, but evidently no one was interested, especially no one at EVGA.
And before anyone says that ME firmware updates can be forced, I remind you that each BIOS must be written for a specific ME and vice versa.

 I have ME disabled in the bios and do not have ME software installed, would this mitigate vulnerabilities? 

ilukeberry
Hi,
 
Run this tool and check it: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19392/intel-converged-security-and-management-engine-version-detection-tool-intel-csmevdt.html

 
I dont use ME so I do not have the drivers/software installed but not sure if I'm still vulnerable?

I've run the "Detection Tool" and it results in the statement "This System is vulnerable".  I'm no expert on this topic for sure and would like to know how we can protect our Systems in light of no BIOS updates from EVGA.  Reading the Intel Support docs associated with the Vulnerabilities from this Detection Tool result, Intel is clearly stating that is it EVGA's responsibility to provide updated Firmware.  Quote: "Contact your system or motherboard manufacturer regarding their plans for making the updates available to end users."
 
Seeing that EVGA is not providing us with any updated firmware, it would seem that we can (1) just take our chances or (2) dump these unsupported motherboards and buy something that is/will be supported.  Intel also lists all the Motherboard Companies that are providing Firmware updates and EVGA is not on that list. 
 
Purchasing the EVGA Z790 Classified (back in April of this year) was a mistake given their (perceived) abandonment of motherboard BIOS support.  I've been buying from EVGA for many years, but allegiance has its common-sense limits.  What I didn't think about (at the time of purchase) was that EVGA would totally abandon Z790 motherboard BIOS support so early while actively selling the product.  They could be liable for it in the future if any customers are actually harmed by lack of BIOS security updates.  Maybe the CEO needs to think about that potential problem that could follow him into the future.  EVGA made no statement about "buy at your own risk" or "no further BIOS updates will be released" to customers who were purchasing their Z790 series motherboards.
 
My 2-cents on this matter...

Did anyone contact their support regarding this issue? :D or they will say: "update for ME firmware has been requested"

Good discussion...there's always something new to learn.  Digging into the bowels of "ME" seems akin to "do I take the red pill or the blue pill"...
 
I looked through the BIOS settings on my Z790 Classified for something related to "Intel ME".  Under Advanced, PCH Configuration I saw a setting for "ME Function" (enabled or disabled).  The on-screen note for this setting says "When disabled ME will be put into ME Temporarily Disabled Mode".  So, if we set that to "disabled" are we simply disabling "Intel Active Management Technology (AMT)"?  From what I've read, you can't disable ME, but could choose whether you want AMT to be running.  For me as just a home user, disabling AMT seems like a thing to do since I'm not interested (or want) a Remote Management Tool running on my PC that is more suited for an IT organization's needs.
 
But, I'm not completely clear on exactly what I'm actually "disabling" in that BIOS setting for this 790 motherboard.  My guess would be that I'm disabling "AMT" (not ME).  But when I'm not sure about a BIOS setting, I tend to not change things unless I know the exact effect/result.

texinga
Good discussion...there's always something new to learn.  Digging into the bowels of "ME" seems akin to "do I take the red pill or the blue pill"...
 
I looked through the BIOS settings on my Z790 Classified for something related to "Intel ME".  Under Advanced, PCH Configuration I saw a setting for "ME Function" (enabled or disabled).  The on-screen note for this setting says "When disabled ME will be put into ME Temporarily Disabled Mode".  So, if we set that to "disabled" are we simply disabling "Intel Active Management Technology (AMT)"?  From what I've read, you can't disable ME, but could choose whether you want AMT to be running.  For me as just a home user, disabling AMT seems like a thing to do since I'm not interested (or want) a Remote Management Tool running on my PC that is more suited for an IT organization's needs.
 
But, I'm not completely clear on exactly what I'm actually "disabling" in that BIOS setting for this 790 motherboard.  My guess would be that I'm disabling "AMT" (not ME).  But when I'm not sure about a BIOS setting, I tend to not change things unless I know the exact effect/result.

 
Tex!!!! Long time no see. Good to see you.  Happy holidays and a happy new year to you.

B0baganoosh
Intel Management Engine is an embedded controller they put in the CPUs to add extra security to the chips. Here's their explanation:
 
 

The Intel® Management Engine is an embedded microcontroller (integrated on some Intel chipsets) running a lightweight microkernel operating system that provides a variety of features and services for Intel® processor–based computer systems.
What kind of features does Intel® Management Engine have?
Features include (but are not limited to):

• Low-power, out-of-band (OOB) management services
• Capability Licensing Service (CLS)
• Anti-Theft Protection
• Protected Audio Video Path (PAVP)

At system initialization, the Intel® Management Engine loads its code from system flash memory. This allows the Intel® Management Engine to be up before the main operating system is started. For run-time data storage, the Intel® Management Engine has access to a protected area of system memory (in addition to a small amount of on-chip cache memory for faster and more efficient processing).

A fundamental feature of the Intel® Management Engine is that its power states are independent of the host OS power states. This feature allows it to be up when the microprocessor and many other components of the system are in deeper sleep states. As a result, the Intel® Management Engine can be a fully functioning component as soon as power is applied to the system. This capability allows it to respond to OOB commands from the IT management console without having to wake up the rest of the system. Therefore, power consumption is reduced significantly.

 
For 99%+ of individual consumers, it is not needed and has no functional use. For IT professionals, it can add some benefits of theft prevention, license management, etc. It is something Intel has made for mostly business use and their tool that tells you if it's functional or "providing adequate protection" is going to tell you that you're not protected unless it's fully up to date and enabled. Whether that's important to you is your call. Just like "memory integrity" setting within Windows...you can enable it and make sure your CPU is less susceptible to exploits, but it also hinders performance (and functionality in some apps), so most gamers just disable it anyway.

That tool you're looking at is a closer example to antivirus software that tells you your system is not protected unless you buy their highest bloatware that they sell. Does it actually mean your computer is at risk? Probably not.
 
This is why there are plenty of people that just disable Intel ME anyway.

 
Thank you, that's interesting. I only installed LAN, ME and WiFi on my Z690 Classified, next time I'll do the installation without ME. The less, the better.

It's not just EVGA, other manufacturers have not updated their boards either.  Pretty sure everyone is waiting for Intel to release something to the builders.

switters1
ASUS has been updating on a regular basis for their Z690 and Z790 Maximus Extreme boards. I was going to attach the screenshot of the result window I just got but the insert image link isn't working.

PSA adding a photo to your Post - EVGA made some changes - Post Directions below

They don't give a ****. :)

Quote....decided to replace my Z790 Dark KP. I have an used 900D case and a 1080 TI, so I thought of replacing the board while I'm at it. 
 
Greetings from Stehekin, WA! Where no roads can take you. Even in the blinding snow here it’s now glaringly clear that EVGA has not come through for me. Having paid $905 last year for the Z790 KP (including taxes and shipping) now turned out to be a big disappointment and financial decision. Took the ferry last week and visited our local computer show in Wenatchee, WA! Like all of these shows a true marketplace for the man on the street with shallow pockets. Excellent in ‘listening-in’ to the talks of the people scurrying between the folding tables and the ‘sing-song’ accents from the Indian dealers from Bangladesh. No sales tax, extra 10% discount when paying with cash. 70% of the merchandise is new but usually of several generations ago. Even a few all new and still in the box Corsair 1000D cases at $200 were proffered. Good for my sausage fingers and more space for the inside air in moving around. Then refurbished GTX 1080ti’s were plentiful as well and listed at $99. I heard people say: “When comparing cost-to-performance the 1080s are still an enticing option and in terms of raw gaming performance, they will keep on holding their ground fairly well in 2024.” About selling my Z790 KP in the box and with all of the attachments? “Asrani from Nehru Place offered me $125 cash but with all of my DDR5 (2x32GB) in place! Yes…EVGA we have come a long way baby! 
 

 
 

EVGA posted the fix / update BETA BIOS for Z790 0x129 Microcode Update