Microsoft Pluton - the next challenge?

[tildearrow]

A few days ago Microsoft announced its Pluton security chip, which aims to replace TPM.

The problem is that the chip is going to be built inside the CPU, which owing to the fact that Microsoft designed the chip and they are massive privacy enemies, may raise concerns similar to Intel ME and AMD PSP, and would potentially be the next thing to disable after ME/PSP (like what if it has a backdoor of some kind?).

https://www.microsoft.com/security/b...f-windows-pcs/

The "Chip-to-Cloud" term is suspicious, as... yeah, you know, the Windows spyware deal...

[Ironmask]

I just hope the microcode on it is written in Rust.

[Guest]

A few days ago Microsoft announced its Pluton security chip, which aims to replace TPM.

The problem is that the chip is going to be built inside the CPU, which owing to the fact that Microsoft designed the chip and they are massive privacy enemies, may raise concerns similar to Intel ME and AMD PSP, and would potentially be the next thing to disable after ME/PSP (like what if it has a backdoor of some kind?).

https://www.microsoft.com/security/b...f-windows-pcs/

The "Chip-to-Cloud" term is suspicious, as... yeah, you know, the Windows spyware deal...

I'm more concerned that it will only boot Windows, and prevent Linux and other OS from booting. Microsoft will say that people can run their Linux apps in WSL and/or run an emulator, so there is no problem.

Big companies have enough pull to get hardware that allows running Linux, BSD etc. and so don't ahvw to care.

We the consumers will be stuck with entirely closed source OS and firmware, while companies love open source OS and firmware that they can control and benefit from.

[tildearrow]

Microsoft will say that people can run their Linux apps in WSL and/or run an emulator, so there is no problem.

I wonder how is it not a problem. It is not the same as running Linux on the platform directly.

[Guest]

I wonder how is it not a problem. It is not the same as running Linux on the platform directly.

Yeah, but if all you want is Linux compatible APIs , well some people don't care what OS is being used underneath. Like I said, that's just the argument that Microsoft will make.

[starshipeleven]

god fucking damnit, I really hope this is just a rebrand or a "module" for the ME/PSP/QSPU, because that's functionality that is already there, although the "Microsoft said Pluton will co-exist with other hardware security solutions." does not make me think it's the case.

That said, as sad as it sounds, Microsoft really has better grasp about how to make something more secure in the 21st century than most OEMs do and they are in a position where they can make standardization happen (to the contrary of Linux).

So this is probably going to be another of those cases where MS comes and slap the OEM into submission and then forces them to adopt a sane standard around how to make a "secure co-processor" in the system.

I really hope this thing will at least get open documentation and be usable from Linux as well, to the contrary of the ME/PSP/QSPU bullshit where you need NDAs and shady deals behind closed doors to even get basic information.

There is no indication of this being a "Apple-style security" where this limits the usage to Windows, so I would not panic about this yet.

[CochainComplex]

...This is what I fear since I have heard the first time of TCA...

[PublicNuisance]

Dropping some coin on the HiFive Unmatched or a Talos II seems like a better idea every day.