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The Dangers of Microsoft Pluton

(gabrielsieben.tech)
733 points gjsman-1000 | 7 comments | 26 Jul 22 03:46 UTC | HN request time: 2.912s | source | bottom
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pjmlp ◴[26 Jul 22 05:48 UTC] No.32234735[source]▶
Regardless of all the FUD against Pluton, it has a great feature, it is yet another CPU with hardware memory tagging, as the last resort against C flaws and derived languages.
replies(1): >>32234915 #
selfhoster11 ◴[26 Jul 22 06:13 UTC] No.32234915[source]▶
FUD is no longer FUD when it becomes a realistic danger.

Given that remote attestation already had deleterious effects for user freedoms on smartphones and tablets (meaning, choose between banking apps and any deviation from the factory ROM), Pluton should be seen as a danger.

replies(1): >>32235192 #
pjmlp ◴[26 Jul 22 06:53 UTC] No.32235192[source]▶
Smartphones and tablets are electronic gadgets.

If you want a general purpose computer get a laptop.

Most likely one sold by Linux OEMs, like Tuxedo and System76.

replies(2): >>32235462 #>>32235627 #
1. selfhoster11 ◴[26 Jul 22 07:41 UTC] No.32235462[source]▶
That's an invalid argument for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that some people can afford just one device.

That device is likely to be a smartphone because everything is slowly moving in the direction of requiring one.

If I need to spend extra money to get an additional "freedom device" and can't afford it, I just won't have one and will miss out on the good stuff.

replies(1): >>32235605 #
2. pjmlp ◴[26 Jul 22 08:04 UTC] No.32235605[source]▶
Welcome to the 8 and 16 bit home computer days when OSes were written in ROMs.
replies(3): >>32236894 #>>32236936 #>>32237756 #
3. selfhoster11 ◴[26 Jul 22 11:34 UTC] No.32236894[source]▶
Those OSes were distributed on ROM by necessity, because that was the most cost effective option available. Any modern limitations that prevent running your own software are not just artificial, but actually require additional effort to implement bootloader locking/integrity checks.
4. pessimizer ◴[26 Jul 22 11:39 UTC] No.32236936[source]▶
Or back to books where the OSes were written in ink. What's the point of this comparison?
replies(1): >>32238039 #
5. oynqr ◴[26 Jul 22 13:09 UTC] No.32237756[source]▶
Those still allowed you to run your own code.
replies(1): >>32238023 #
6. pjmlp ◴[26 Jul 22 13:30 UTC] No.32238023{3}[source]▶
ROM disassembly books existed for a reason.
7. pjmlp ◴[26 Jul 22 13:32 UTC] No.32238039{3}[source]▶
I guess, the way Compaq was able to take advantage from IBM.