As a quick response to a firmware backdoor recently discovered in over 250 models of Gigabyte motherboards, company has released new beta firmware that mitigates potential security risks. Unfortunately, this list includes new and old motherboards that are several years old, so Gigabyte is working diligently to fix the issue. Consumers can now download updated firmware for affected Intel and AMD motherboards from Gigabyte’s official website.
Gigabyte did not provide detailed information about the new firmware. However, manufacturers seem to implement tighter security controls during the boot process. According to Gigabyte, improved security mechanisms will detect and prevent malicious activity during the boot process.
In a nutshell, the updater program resides in the motherboard’s firmware, so it’s a sensitive issue. You cannot uninstall the program through Control Panel or remove the process manually. Unless this option has been manually disabled in the firmware, the program will automatically copy itself into the operating system and once fully loaded it will call Gigabyte’s remote server to check for new firmware. Wouldn’t it be ironic if an updater program pushed the latest firmware to Gigabyte’s motherboard?
Gigabyte seems to have made some significant changes on the remote server end as well. For example, this vendor has enhanced the signature verification process for files downloaded from the company’s remote servers. In addition, it checks file integrity more thoroughly to prevent cybercriminals from injecting malicious code and infecting users’ systems with malware.
Meanwhile, Gigabyte now allows standard cryptographic verification of remote server certificates. This helps to better restrict privileged access. We don’t understand why he didn’t enable this feature before by Gigabyte in the first place.
Owners of Intel 700 and 600 series motherboards, and AMD 500 and 400 series motherboards will get the first DIB for the new firmware. Corresponding firmware updates for Intel 500-series and 400-series motherboards, and AMD 600-series motherboards will be available on their respective product pages later today. The description of the new firmware states that it “addresses a Download Assistant vulnerability reported by Eclypsium Research.”
Gigabyte wants to assure owners of older motherboards that the company hasn’t forgotten about them. The company is preparing a new firmware for its previously launched motherboards, which is expected to launch later today.
