Where is the bios-chip?

Irethel · 18 Sep 2023

Sorry to necro this just now...

First, thanks for finding the bios-chip.
It is strange that asus did not mark the bios-chip on their manual as they do with other boards.
If it is the case that the bios-chip is soldered onto the board i'm screwed..
Yes i have a problem, a big problem that is called intel ME.
Silly NSA backdoor with ring zero remote access to pretty much anything on my personal device.
Yes i could look up the numbers for each chip to identify which one is the bios, but if it's soldered this is pointless, unless, i can still connected to the soldered chip somehow (with a specific device) and flash a bios version without intel ME.
However... that is a risk, if something goes wrong i can't replace the chip and board is hot garbage, atleast i asume so.
Best option would be buying a duplicate bios-chip and experimenting with that so if things don't work can simply put original chip back.

MisterEd · 18 Sep 2023

As an aside ... I remember many years ago people sometimes bricked their motherboards because of a bad BIOS update. A seemingly crazy repair was to find someone with a computer with an identical motherboard. After they booted that computer into the BIOS they pulled its BIOS chip and replaced it with the one from the bricked motherboard. They then proceeded to flash this BIOS chip. Once done they put the original BIOS chip back in. They claimed that this fixed the BIOS chip which fixed the bricked motherboard. At least that is what they claimed.

User2468 · 19 Sep 2023

Irethel said:

Sorry to necro this just now...

First, thanks for finding the bios-chip.
It is strange that asus did not mark the bios-chip on their manual as they do with other boards.
If it is the case that the bios-chip is soldered onto the board i'm screwed..
Yes i have a problem, a big problem that is called intel ME.
Silly NSA backdoor with ring zero remote access to pretty much anything on my personal device.
Yes i could look up the numbers for each chip to identify which one is the bios, but if it's soldered this is pointless, unless, i can still connected to the soldered chip somehow (with a specific device) and flash a bios version without intel ME.
However... that is a risk, if something goes wrong i can't replace the chip and board is hot garbage, atleast i asume so.
Best option would be buying a duplicate bios-chip and experimenting with that so if things don't work can simply put original chip back.

Why don't you read my post's again...

If you're concerned about the NSA, and "dudes in black sunglasses", then maybe you should also be concerned about companies like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google, etc that rape, RAPE your data on a day by day basis. Not including all the data brokers... Trust me when I tell you the NSA et al could care less about you. Unless your a massive government target like a terrorist or something it's a zero issue. The COMPANIES are the one's to look out for. Do you use Apps on a phone? Do you allow all those permissions? Do you use stock Android? How about crap Apps that give you "perks" just by using them? Like at Starbucks or McDonalds? Do you use a phone number every time you check out at a grocery store? Use a credit card? If so, you're already in database after database, and the Feds have access to it...

Intel ME is small fry crap. You wouldn't believe how much telemetry pours out of Windows 10. Never mind the fact there's this.

I roll Tiny10, use OPNsense and run Wazuh.

In conclusion, BIOS does NOT have Intel ME. The CPU does.

Edit-

Intel Management Engine - Wikipedia

User2468 · 19 Sep 2023

MisterEd said:

As an aside ... I remember many years ago people sometimes bricked their motherboards because of a bad BIOS update. A seemingly crazy repair was to find someone with a computer with an identical motherboard. After they booted that computer into the BIOS they pulled its BIOS chip and replaced it with the one from the bricked motherboard. They then proceeded to flash this BIOS chip. Once done they put the original BIOS chip back in. They claimed that this fixed the BIOS chip which fixed the bricked motherboard. At least that is what they claimed.

Doubtful...

Irethel · 20 Sep 2023

F22 Simpilot said:

Why don't you read my post's again...

If you're concerned about the NSA, and "dudes in black sunglasses", then maybe you should also be concerned about companies like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google, etc that rape, RAPE your data on a day by day basis. Not including all the data brokers... Trust me when I tell you the NSA et al could care less about you. Unless your a massive government target like a terrorist or something it's a zero issue. The COMPANIES are the one's to look out for. Do you use Apps on a phone? Do you allow all those permissions? Do you use stock Android? How about crap Apps that give you "perks" just by using them? Like at Starbucks or McDonalds? Do you use a phone number every time you check out at a grocery store? Use a credit card? If so, you're already in database after database, and the Feds have access to it...

Intel ME is small fry crap. You wouldn't believe how much telemetry pours out of Windows 10. Never mind the fact there's this.

I roll Tiny10, use OPNsense and run Wazuh.

In conclusion, BIOS does NOT have Intel ME. The CPU does.

Edit-

Intel Management Engine - Wikipedia

You are not telling me anything new, i am concerned over these psychotic companies but they don't rape my data because they don't get any.. i'm not doing any of the things you listed.
I'm sure that i am not an NSA target... i don't care if i am or not i simply want to get rid of intel ME.
There is no point using linux and keeping software super private when the gov't or a hacker finding an exploit can anytime remotely access your device over intel ME. It is a security risk many experts warned about for years however the gov't doesn't care.
I have no interest defending myself in explaining why it is justified getting rid of intel ME, the thing shouldn't even exist in the first place.

My issue right now is that i don't know what exactly i have to do to get rid of intel ME.
Which tools do i need, how do i use them, and how do i get the process done without rendering my board useless.

- - - Updated - - -

PS: chris titus tech has a video on tiny10
Tiny11 has problems - Invidious

Berton · 20 Sep 2023

Gotta love acronyms, the BIOS/Basic Input Output System is stored on the CMOS/Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor, the 'chip'. The BIOS is what the Operating System reads to know about resources it can use. User settings in the BIOS can be lost if power is lost, hence the need for the battery on the motherboard to retain those settings. The default system settings don't get lost, are coded in the chip. Tip: there's 2 password settings in a BIOS, one is used during boot-up to continue into the OS which may have a different password and the other is just to be able to enter the BIOS to make changes, either or both can be used or not as desired. Don't lose them if used.

Megahertz · 20 Sep 2023

About 20 years ago I briquet my computer when flashing a BIOS went wrong. The BIOS chip was a EEprom. I took it out from the socket and re flashed on a stand.
Nowadays the BIOS chip is much complex. It is surface mounted and soldered to the MB and has many contacts. You cant remove it.
A GAZ87 D3HP has two MX25L6473E BIOS chips (Gigabyte dual BIOS)

MX25L6473E Datasheet(PDF) - Macronix International

User2468 · 21 Sep 2023

Irethel said:

You are not telling me anything new, i am concerned over these psychotic companies but they don't rape my data because they don't get any.. i'm not doing any of the things you listed.
I'm sure that i am not an NSA target... i don't care if i am or not i simply want to get rid of intel ME.
There is no point using linux and keeping software super private when the gov't or a hacker finding an exploit can anytime remotely access your device over intel ME. It is a security risk many experts warned about for years however the gov't doesn't care.
I have no interest defending myself in explaining why it is justified getting rid of intel ME, the thing shouldn't even exist in the first place.

My issue right now is that i don't know what exactly i have to do to get rid of intel ME.
Which tools do i need, how do i use them, and how do i get the process done without rendering my board useless.

- - - Updated - - -

PS: chris titus tech has a video on tiny10
Tiny11 has problems - Invidious

Why don't you read my post's again... Why don't you read the Wikipedia entry...

Chris Titus doesn't show any hard evidence except the obvious. And that's Tiny 11 which is not Tiny. The same Dev of Tiny10 and 11 has their script at Github for 11. While it is risky to run something like this, I approached Tiny10 with reservations, so I scanned all the DLLs and whatnot at VirusTotal. I also monitor my network so no reverse shells and whatnot that I can see, and I use Wazuh which you should read about.

You're not going to disable Intel ME. You need to read the Wikipedia page. This is NOT a BIOS feature!

Edit-

NO ONE on YouStupid (YouTube) is an expert. Not even people who write articles that people somehow take as fact. They're just doing it for the money... In today's world you need to weigh all the information and make an educated guess...

Irethel · 21 Sep 2023

F22 Simpilot said:

Why don't you read my post's again... Why don't you read the Wikipedia entry...

Chris Titus doesn't show any hard evidence except the obvious. And that's Tiny 11 which is not Tiny. The same Dev of Tiny10 and 11 has their script at Github for 11. While it is risky to run something like this, I approached Tiny10 with reservations, so I scanned all the DLLs and whatnot at VirusTotal. I also monitor my network so no reverse shells and whatnot that I can see, and I use Wazuh which you should read about.

You're not going to disable Intel ME. You need to read the Wikipedia page. This is NOT a BIOS feature!

Edit-

NO ONE on YouStupid (YouTube) is an expert. Not even people who write articles that people somehow take as fact. They're just doing it for the money... In today's world you need to weigh all the information and make an educated guess...

I don't trust tiny just as i don't trust microsoft, simple enough.
If you found out tiny is legit good for you, i haven't investigated to much and won't bcs don't need it.
Who are you now to tell me what i am going or not going to do, and wikipedia is a complete bias.
Intel ME runs on the bioschip it's a seperate system, never said it's a bios feature.
I've seen the videos you sent (partialy) he doesn't disable ME.
If i'll be able to disable or atleast partialy disable intel ME depends entirely on the info i can find on the internet.
PS: The outcome of this thread was predictable.

Marie SWE · 21 Sep 2023

Irethel said:

Sorry to necro this just now...

First, thanks for finding the bios-chip.
It is strange that asus did not mark the bios-chip on their manual as they do with other boards.
If it is the case that the bios-chip is soldered onto the board i'm screwed..
Yes i have a problem, a big problem that is called intel ME.
Silly NSA backdoor with ring zero remote access to pretty much anything on my personal device.
Yes i could look up the numbers for each chip to identify which one is the bios, but if it's soldered this is pointless, unless, i can still connected to the soldered chip somehow (with a specific device) and flash a bios version without intel ME.
However... that is a risk, if something goes wrong i can't replace the chip and board is hot garbage, atleast i asume so.
Best option would be buying a duplicate bios-chip and experimenting with that so if things don't work can simply put original chip back.

F22 Simpilot said:

Why don't you read my post's again...

If you're concerned about the NSA, and "dudes in black sunglasses", then maybe you should also be concerned about companies like Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google, etc that rape, RAPE your data on a day by day basis. Not including all the data brokers... Trust me when I tell you the NSA et al could care less about you. Unless your a massive government target like a terrorist or something it's a zero issue. The COMPANIES are the one's to look out for. Do you use Apps on a phone? Do you allow all those permissions? Do you use stock Android? How about crap Apps that give you "perks" just by using them? Like at Starbucks or McDonalds? Do you use a phone number every time you check out at a grocery store? Use a credit card? If so, you're already in database after database, and the Feds have access to it...

Intel ME is small fry crap. You wouldn't believe how much telemetry pours out of Windows 10. Never mind the fact there's this.

I roll Tiny10, use OPNsense and run Wazuh.

In conclusion, BIOS does NOT have Intel ME. The CPU does.

Edit-

Intel Management Engine - Wikipedia

Irethel said:

You are not telling me anything new, i am concerned over these psychotic companies but they don't rape my data because they don't get any.. i'm not doing any of the things you listed.
I'm sure that i am not an NSA target... i don't care if i am or not i simply want to get rid of intel ME.
There is no point using linux and keeping software super private when the gov't or a hacker finding an exploit can anytime remotely access your device over intel ME. It is a security risk many experts warned about for years however the gov't doesn't care.
I have no interest defending myself in explaining why it is justified getting rid of intel ME, the thing shouldn't even exist in the first place.

My issue right now is that i don't know what exactly i have to do to get rid of intel ME.
Which tools do i need, how do i use them, and how do i get the process done without rendering my board useless.

- - - Updated - - -

PS: chris titus tech has a video on tiny10
Tiny11 has problems - Invidious

F22 Simpilot said:

Why don't you read my post's again... Why don't you read the Wikipedia entry...

Chris Titus doesn't show any hard evidence except the obvious. And that's Tiny 11 which is not Tiny. The same Dev of Tiny10 and 11 has their script at Github for 11. While it is risky to run something like this, I approached Tiny10 with reservations, so I scanned all the DLLs and whatnot at VirusTotal. I also monitor my network so no reverse shells and whatnot that I can see, and I use Wazuh which you should read about.

You're not going to disable Intel ME. You need to read the Wikipedia page. This is NOT a BIOS feature!

Edit-

NO ONE on YouStupid (YouTube) is an expert. Not even people who write articles that people somehow take as fact. They're just doing it for the money... In today's world you need to weigh all the information and make an educated guess...

Irethel said:

I don't trust tiny just as i don't trust microsoft, simple enough.
If you found out tiny is legit good for you, i haven't investigated to much and won't bcs don't need it.
Who are you now to tell me what i am going or not going to do, and wikipedia is a complete bias.
Intel ME runs on the bioschip it's a seperate system, never said it's a bios feature.
I've seen the videos you sent (partialy) he doesn't disable ME.
If i'll be able to disable or atleast partialy disable intel ME depends entirely on the info i can find on the internet.
PS: The outcome of this thread was predictable.

Hi @Irethel

I usually don't write in support threads.
F22 Simpilot did make some good points.. so i implemented them in this post. (Hi F22 Simpilot)

First.. I have chat with Chris Titus several times and he is really-really good on his stuff.... He is a sysadmin and some in windows and know a lot about Linux servers and have some certs in that and he have become good on Linux desktops.

and Chris is a really good and fun guy

But Chris is not a security researcher or an ethical hacker or a network guy.... IT is big.. to big to learn it all, so we all have to specialize on a one or a few orientations.. either we know a little bit of many things or a lot of only a few things. That goes for everyone that works in IT, or just having a big IT-interest

You are concerned about NSA and those.. and you using windows10..
I recommend you learn networking and network-security.. it will take you 6-12month depending on how fast learner you are.
If we say your theory would be true and they would have backdoors on hardware level and they are after you.. and you is concerned about privacy and your data.
Then you need to know networking and how to use advanced firewalls to block unwanted traffic and how to monitor all network packages in your lan and you need to learn what metadata is and OSINT.. that is a good start.. but that is just the tip of the iceberg.. and you have way better forum then tenforums for those topics

Then at last.... do not use hardware that have those features if you is so concerned about it... and research hard facts of what things really are and how to abuse them..
Just because 100.000people on internet say it's true.. it dont make it true if it ain't.
Good luck.