help settle an argument - intel security conspiracy!

[Chevens]

Hi all, would be interested to hear your opinions on the following.
A friend of mine provides IT client support for a large company, so I figure should know a thing or two about hardware.

He recently told me that intel chips with with VPRO technology can be tracked by intel or their owner. He wasn't talking about a laptop with an intel network card, JUST the CPU. He even claimed there is a 3g antenna in the newer Xeon CPU's that can broadcast location, even without being on a network connected to the net.

Is there any truth in this? If I bought a second hand CPU could it be possible for the owner to find my location through the CPU alone?!

I called BS, but stand to be corrected and rather saddened if true!

Thanks

 

[ZeroG]

I call bs on this tbh. How exactly would the antenna work inside the cpu? It would be so small the range would be barely outside the case of the cpu.

He's clearly pulling your leg.

 

[~Dockie]

i imagine an antennae stuck under a bit metal block inside a big metal box would be great at broadcasting radio waves.

 

[Begbie]

Nope.

Inside a metal box, with another metal box on top of it?

On the motherboard, would make (more, but still none) sense.

 

[Jokester]

There's some truth to it (not the in-built antenna bit though).

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369110,00.asp

From a security standpoint, the biggest addition Sandy Bridge will deliver will be the ability to remotely kill and restore a lost or stolen PC via 3G, Marek said. Previously, that capability, which delivers a "poison pill" that can remotely wipe the PC's hard drive, was only available via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Now, if that laptop has a 3G connection, the PC can be protected

 

[Chevens]

There's some truth to it (not the in-built antenna bit though).

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369110,00.asp

Interesting - presumably an Intel network card (with 3g antena) is at play too, not Just the CPU.

Hopefully the second hand CPU market is safe... someone can't 'kill' your CPU, or wipe your data from afar I struggle to understand how that would work, it's not like a CPU has it own unique MAC address, how could it even be targeted?!

 

[Jokester]

I think CPUs with this feature set actually have a unique ID.

 

[Scougar]

Ok, so it is obvious that this just means a network connection and that 3g connection has been added to the list. I.e. the pc has a hardware id and if connected via one of the methods mentioned it can be tracked or other interesting stuff. Obviously the feature would have to be enabled in advance though.