"amdflaws.com" - What is this?

[formulav8]

GoDaddy supposedly provides proxy services.

I understand that but why would they feel the need to hide it? Probably some interesting info being hidden.

 

[moinmoin]

Then they create amdflaws.com which looks like a total mud-slinging effort against AMD. Then they give AMD less than 24 hours to respond vs. the months Intel was provided for Meltdown / Spectre?

The advent of security trolling (next level of FUD?). I can only hope everybody looks closely who's getting involved in this.

 

[iBoMbY]

Just look at the PDF-Report from Viceroy, which was published around the same time as the "Whitepaper": https://viceroyresearch.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/amd-the-obituary-13-mar-2018.pdf

Also just a few days ago: https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/03/12/business/12reuters-prosieben-media-accounts.html

 

[piesquared]

heh, I wouldn't be surprised if this was more of a project from one of Goldman's teams, as they seem to be rather involved in AMD stock manipulation for the last couple of years, at least: constantly lowering valuations, then buying up huge chunks. Again and again.

Or not just Goldman: a direct manipulation scheme for any kind of fun or investment bank; not so much Intel or actual competitors. ....this would be catastrophically stupid of Intel to attempt such a thing, obviously.

I would guess Goldman is involved and it is due to their ties to one of AMD's competitors (not the one you mentioned).

 

[Glo.]

What companies Intel have bought over previous years in... Israel?



.

 

[formulav8]

Initial response from AMD

We have just received a report from a company called CTS Labs claiming there are potential security vulnerabilities related to certain of our processors. We are actively investigating and analyzing its findings. This company was previously unknown to AMD and we find it unusual for a security firm to publish its research to the press without providing a reasonable amount of time for the company to investigate and address its findings. At AMD, security is a top priority and we are continually working to ensure the safety of our users as potential new risks arise. We will update this blog as news develops.

 

[Atari2600]

I think given the industry a company like Anandtech is in, I think they worded it very well.

I think Ian should not have given CTS the benefit of any doubt.

A headline more along the lines of; "Dubious outfit makes dubious claims against AMD" would have been more appropriate I felt.

Then lead the article with (1) the note that the "researchers" admit to having financial interests in the hunt, (2) they have no track record in either their people or company, (3) they have completely ignored industry practices, (4) the timeline of their build up to this means its highly highly likely that this is an attempt at financial manipulation.

Then, and only then, do you start to discuss their claims.

 

[PhonakV30]

https://twitter.com/cynicalsecurity/status/973591954096381952

 

[sandorski]

Gonna Hax0r my system, now that I know the vulnerabilities! C:/format exploit coming up!!

 

[Atari2600]

Gonna Hax0r my system, now that I know the vulnerabilities! C:/format exploit coming up!!

Dude you'd so r00| the sh0w on 4chan.

@dd€d $0M€ Rand0m key€tr0k€$ for h@ckers as thats how they type just c0s. D0nt qu€$tion m€ n00b.

 

[moinmoin]

https://twitter.com/cynicalsecurity/status/973591954096381952

Conclusion, re-written: “we wrote an amazing media-whoring whitepaper and website about stuff which is barely beyond obvious so that we can short AMD stock because suckers and TVs will listen to us”.

They hope the security community takes note of these findings. Right.

 

[turtile]

I would have to say that the funniest part of this is that they name the flaws after Ryzen which is not even the architecture. And would only be concerned for Epyc....

 

[Stuka87]

This whole thing is just shockingly bad. And no, not bad for AMD. But bad as is in the "security company" that is trying this stunt.

Not only does the white paper read like a financial document, but they actually state on their own page that everything in the white paper is an OPINION, and NOT fact! Any security flaw that requires a system to already be owned is not a security flaw. One of them requires a custom made and flashed BIOS, and another requires a custom made and signed driver.

 

[PhonakV30]

wait , i noticed something.

https://amdflaws.com

this doesn't use https protocol, does it ?

 

[zinfamous]

I wonder if this "CTS security" has one of those empty offices in the Seychelles or something like that. I'd like to see if someone has tried to contact them and/or get some feet on the ground to confirm if they actually exist.

 

[formulav8]

It shows as a secure connection for me.

 

[formulav8]

Not sure if this has been posted here or not. It looks like one of their videos on the so-called security issues is using a green screen with this image.

 

[PhonakV30]

Just look at the PDF-Report from Viceroy, which was published around the same time as the "Whitepaper": https://viceroyresearch.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/amd-the-obituary-13-mar-2018.pdf

Also just a few days ago: https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/03/12/business/12reuters-prosieben-media-accounts.html

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/in-depth/investigations/viceroy-unmasked/

 

[William Gaatjes]

What companies Intel have bought over previous years in... Israel?



.

Intel has had research facilities since 1974.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/corporate-responsibility/intel-in-israel.html
Everything after the Pentium 4 was based of a design done in Haifa.
And it proved them well.
But this CTS labs case really stinks like someone with a "personal" and financial vendetta.

Intel in Israel
Intel established a presence in Israel in 1974 in Haifa with five employees. Today the company employs about 10,000 people, in addition to indirectly supporting the employment of 30,000 workers in Israel. About 60% of Intel Israel's employees are engaged in cutting-edge R&D, while half support high-volume manufacturing of microprocessors that power the world's computing devices.
As Israel's largest privately-held employer and exporter, and as the leader of the local electronics and information industry, Intel Israel is one of the building blocks of Israel's high-tech industry and an important component in the country's economic foundation.
Intel has four development centers located in Haifa, Yakum, Petach Tikva and Jerusalem, as well as manufacturing-related facilities in Kiryat Gat and Jerusalem.
Intel has committed to invest 1.87 billion New Israeli Shekels (NIS) in procurement every year for the next decade. This means that in the next 10 years, Intel will spend NIS 18.7 billion, mainly through small to medium Israel suppliers.

Intel in the Community
Intel has contributed to Israel in countless social and community activities over the past 42 years.
Intel collaborates with schools, municipalities and community organizations in a range of initiatives. Intel donated NIS 23 million to community activities in 2015.
Intel invested 20 million NIS to enhance STEM education in Israel. This four-year commitment allowed Intel to create the We Are The Future initiative with an umbrella of targeted programs for students and teachers in close collaboration with Israel's ministry of education.

Quick Facts

• Employment more than 10,000

• Investment since 1974: $11 billion and $6 billion underway

• Average annual capital expenditures: $1 billion

• Employee volunteerism rate: 42 percent

• Community Donations in 2015: $6 million

It is always possible that someone knows someone....

http://old.seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2003658346_intelisrael09.html

Originally published April 9, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified April 9, 2007 at 2:01 AM
How Israel saved Intel
Five hundred employees and guests crowded under a white tent half the length of a football field at Intel's Santa Clara, Calif., headquarters as Chief Executive...




Shmuel Eden, former head of the Israel Development Center in Haifa, Israel, stands by an enlarged model of the Core 2 Duo chip. He has moved to Santa Clara, Calif., as sales manager for Intel's laptop chip division.
Five hundred employees and guests crowded under a white tent half the length of a football field at Intel's Santa Clara, Calif., headquarters as Chief Executive Paul Otellini put his company's newest line of computer chips through their paces.
"These are the best microprocessors we've ever designed, the best microprocessors we've ever built," Otellini said. "This is not just incremental change; it's a revolutionary leap."
Otellini's pronouncement relegated to obsolescence Intel's Pentium chip, which once powered more than 80 percent of the world's personal computers. That wasn't the only surprise last July.
A camera zoomed in on engineers in lab coats in Haifa, Israel. The video revealed that the chip Intel is counting on to recover from a battering by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) wasn't invented in Silicon Valley. Instead, Intel is betting on a group of Israeli mavericks and a design bureau 7,400 miles away.
Shmuel Eden, former head of the Israel Development Center, where the new Core 2 Duo was created, says he's fed up with the perception that Intel's prowess is fading.
"People are angry," said Eden, who moved to Santa Clara in 2002 as sales manager for Intel's laptop chip division. "When I see something in the press saying Advanced Micro has taken our lead in technology, it hurts me personally."

Investors are hurting, too.
"I can't see Intel getting back to the market-share levels they used to have," said William Gorman, an analyst at Philadelphia-based PNC Wealth Management, which manages about $50 billion, including Intel shares. "They opened a window, and AMD took advantage."
Intel's share of the $33 billion computer-processor industry is the lowest in 11 years, according to Cave Creek, Ariz.-based Mercury Research. Profit plunged 42 percent to $5.04 billion last year as the company slashed prices after Intel's share of the personal-computer processor market slipped to 75 percent.
Advanced Micro, Intel's Sunnyvale, Calif.-based rival, unveiled its first server processor, called Opteron, in 2003. Since then, AMD has wrested customers away from Intel.
One, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, switched its servers to Opteron in 2005 and then chose AMD-powered computers for its network of 600 desktop machines.
"When I find a technology that works for me, I'm going to stick by it," said Gene Peters, director of information services at the exchange. "I've no doubt that we made the right choice and will be with it for the next five or six years."

Sales, shares fall in '06
Without customers like Peters, Intel's sales dropped 9 percent last year to $35.4 billion, even as the PC market grew 10 percent.
Dell, Intel's largest customer, compounded the woes last May by ending its exclusive use of the company's chips.
Intel shares finished 2006 down 19 percent, the worst performance in the Dow Jones industrial average. That includes the 16 percent rise that began on July 27, the day Otellini unveiled the Israeli-designed processor. Intel shares have fallen 5 percent in 2007, as of March 27.
"I just can't get excited about what's going on," said Daniel Morgan, who helps manage $5.45 billion, including Intel shares, at Columbus, Ga.-based Synovus Investment Advisors. "Do they ever regain the prominence and bellwether status that they achieved during the '90s?"
That answer would be a definite no if not for the Israeli team, said Doug Freedman, an analyst for Greenwich, Conn.-based brokerage American Technology Research.
"They saved the company," Freedman said. "Without those new products, Intel would be in a lot more trouble."
Otellini's bet on the Israelis required a shift in thinking about how processors work — and how Intel markets them. Intel had always promoted the mantra that faster clock speed, the rate at which a chip executes instructions, was the key to measuring how well a computer performs.
Eden, who prefers a beret and a leather jacket to Intel's unofficial uniform of a blue shirt and khakis, says the Israeli team realized the danger in the industry's obsession with speed. For decades, making chips perform better had meant cramming transistors closer together and switching them on and off more quickly.

Hitting the power wall
After almost 40 years, the postage stamp-size devices contained millions of transistors flickering more than a billion times a second. The penalty was heat — as much as a small television set generates.
As the Israelis contemplated computer makers' designs for thin and light notebooks, they realized they'd need a fan thicker than the computer itself to keep the processors from cooking. That would make slim laptops impossible.
"We hit the power wall," Eden, 53, says. "We said, 'Guys, it cannot work anymore.' "
In Haifa, Rony Friedman was working on a chip for low-cost computers. It was slower than Intel's lineup — but it put out less heat. The trick was to persuade the rest of Intel that the company could sell a slower processor. Winning over Otellini, then head of the chip division, proved a turning point.
"We did it the Israeli way; we argued our case to death," Eden recalls. "You know what an exchange of opinions is in Israel? You come to the meeting with your opinion, and you leave with mine."
The Israelis' new chip, named Banias after a river in Galilee, got a break with Intel's push into notebook computers.
It hit the market in March 2003 as part of a package called Centrino. It let business travelers tote around PCs that had the same performance as their desktop models.
Banias anchored three years of 13 percent annual sales growth at Intel from 2003-05.
The trouble was that while Intel was working on laptop chips, AMD had persuaded IBM to use the Opteron processor for servers.
By the end of 2006, Advanced Micro had snatched about a quarter of the server market, up from about 4 percent before Opteron came out in 2003.
Intel's Type A personalities are rallying. In one 100-day period last year, Intel unveiled more than 40 processors, most based on the Israeli design.
Friedman now runs Intel design groups around the world.
"Now we're doing processors that should carry most of Intel's revenue," he said. "We can't screw up."

Added date for clarification.

 

[sandorski]

Not sure if this has been posted here or not. It looks like one of their videos on the so-called security issues is using a green screen with this image.

Hmm, Comments and Likes disabled.

 

[Peter Watts]

Sponsored by intel???

 

[William Gaatjes]

There is a phonenumber on the website of amdflaws.

+1-585-233-0321
What is strange is that the phone number seems to be a mobile phone number.
I would not expect that from a company.
And is this area code not from New York ?

 

[DisEnchantment]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/846gpm/how_cts_labs_created_their_offices_out_of_thin_air/

This is hilarious, the CTF Labs guys use stock backgrounds from the net for their office shots and /r/AMD was quick to dispatch.

 

[Stuka87]

There is a phonenumber on the website of amdflaws.

+1-585-233-0321
What is strange is that the phone number seems to be a mobile phone number.
I would not expect that from a company.
And is this area code not from New York ?

The CFO of CTS is from new york, and is a former hedge fund manager.

 

[William Gaatjes]

The whitepaper sure is interesting :

Exploiting MASTERKEY requires an attacker to be able to re-flash the BIOS with a specially crafted BIOS
update. This update would contain Secure Processor metadata that exploits one of the vulnerabilities, as well
as malware code compiled for ARM Cortex A5 – the processor inside the AMD Secure Processor. Because the
Secure Processor checks its own digital signatures, this malicious update often passes BIOS-specific digital
signature verifications.

MASTERKEY can often be exploited as part of a remote cyber-attack. Most EPYC and Ryzen motherboards on
the market use a BIOS by American Megatrends that allows easy re-flashing from within the operating system
using a command-line utility. Such utility could be used by remote attackers in the course of a cyber-attack.
On motherboards where re-flashing is not possible because it has been blocked, or because BIOS updates
must be encapsulated and digitally signed by an OEM-specific digital signature, we suspect an attacker could
occasionally still succeed in re-flashing the BIOS. This could be done by first exploiting RYZENFALL or FALLOUT
and breaking into System Management Mode (SMM). SMM privileges could then be used to write to system
flash, assuming the latter has not been permanently write-locked.

Suspect, thus not proven.