SENTER Sandman: Using Intel TXT to Attack BIOSes

Xeno Kovah, Corey Kallenberg, John Butterworth, Sam Cornwell
June, 2014
Cite Slides (PDF) Whitepaper (PDF) Conference Presentation Video

Abstract

A description of how Intel TXT’s SMI suppression behavior can be used to subvert a BIOS protection mechanism. Also a discussion of on what hardware SMIs aren’t suppressed, and the implications for the trustworthiness if Copernicus 2.

Type
Conference paper
Publication
In SummerCon 2014, Hack in the Box KUL 2014, Hack.lu 2014, and DeepSec 2014
firmware security BIOS security BIOS attack secure boot attack
Xeno Kovah
Xeno Kovah
Dark Mentor Level X

Hacking firmware like it’s no big deal.