ME Update Error 8719

[Shawn]

MEInfo ran on win10 on CF19mk6 with "that" BIOS pops an unable to communicate type of error.
Basically, it can't find ME because ME is not there.

[Shawn]

Tohnichi torque driver with interchangeable bits. Got mine on Ebay for a great price.
Must have for CF19//31 work.

RTD60CN.jpg (12.83 KiB) Viewed 17358 times

[Karl Klammer]

currently having "partial successes" with implanting the correct ME region via hexedit from a dump image into a upd image.
"partial successes" in the sense that fwupdlcl thinks its valid and only the me chip aborts later on, at stage 4 of 19 ;-)

but yeah, I'll most likely have to walk the left-handed path ...of the screwdriver

C:\UpdateMeFirmware\Data801>FWUpdLcl64.exe -f biteMErge.bin -oemid D6B09D64-DA23-49A9-8888-F663BE603389 -allowsv
Intel (R) Firmware Update Utility Version: 8.1.40.1456
Copyright (C) 2007 - 2013, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Communication Mode: MEI
Checking firmware parameters...
Warning: Do not exit the process or power off the machine before the firmware up date process ends.
Sending the update image to FW for verification: [ COMPLETE ]
FW Update: [ 15% (Stage: 4 of 19) (-)]
Error 8741: FW Update Failed.
Error 8706: Firmware update not initiated due to integrity failure or invalid FW image

[Shawn]

I have tried every software flasher imaginable.
Unless it is a OEM type of package, it refuses to write. Or it "says" it writes but does not.
It's something with the way the BIOS chip is implemented.

[Karl Klammer]

issue solved by discovering and exploiting a highly trivial race condition within ME local firmware update
see github https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner/issues/64
or updated Qubes3.2@cf19mk6 guide http://www.toughbooktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3176

[Shawn]

What is a "race condition"

[Karl Klammer]

a race condition is a kind of bug where a program checks something before doing something.
the trick is to switch the thing being acted upon between the checking and the doing stage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_condition

in this case: i let intels fwdupdlcl.exe authenticate the oem firmware to me,
then interrupt that process before the flashing starts,
and then just replace oem firmware with my firmware,
which will then be flashed

see the github link. https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner/issues/64
in this case, its alarmingly, shockingly dead-simple to understand and to exploit.
i am very surprised to see such a simple attack on a multi-million (dollars,users) government backdoor chip

[Shawn]

Ahh.slight of hand, just like a magician.

Last time at Dr office, I ask Dr to update ME. I was told my firmware and software is too old.

[Karl Klammer]

only good hardware is allowed to turn into legacy hardware

nasa was still looking for chips from 1982 back in 2002
https://www.geek.com/chips/nasa-needs-8 ... ps-549867/

maybe you can get spare parts the same way? ;-)
or join the old farts club at nasa? ;-)