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

 

[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?!