Gigabyte Responds To Intel ME Updates With New Motherboard BIOS

In response to Intel's latest Management Engine firmware updates, Gigabyte is in the process of updating the BIOS for its Q270, Q170, and X170-WS ECC series motherboards. The company has issued BIOS updates for motherboards equipped with X170, X150, B150, and B250 chipsets; updates for Q87, Q85, and B85 motherboards are currently in the works.

Intel recently discovered an Active Management Technology (AMT) security vulnerability. The vulnerability could enable an attacker to gain remote access to business PCs or devices that utilize Intel Active Management Technology (AMT), Intel Standard Manageability (ISM) or Intel Small Business Technology (SBT) Intel, working with the security researcher that discovered the flaw, released a Detection and Mitigation Tool last month after the vulnerability was publicly announced.

How serious is this vulnerability? At the time, we explained its severity as follows:

The vulnerability in question allows privilege escalation on an Intel PC with the AMT functionality enabled. However, what has made it dangerous is that Intel AMT can normally (as a feature) be accessed remotely due to its “out-of-band capabilities,” when the computer is shut down but still has access to electricity. Therefore, a sophisticated attacker may be able to cause significant damage to a PC or network by exploiting those powerful capabilities.

Gigabyte encourages you to visit the product page for your motherboard to see if a BIOS update is available or to speak with a technical support team representative for assistance. Motherboard updates that are currently available can be found below:

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Steven Lynch is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering case reviews and news.