Last week, Intel announced that a severe security flaw in some of its chips left thousands of devices vulnerable to hackers.

Security researchers revealed the problem was worse than they initially believed since the flaw could allow attackers to remotely gain control over the affected devices. More specifically, 8,000 potential devices are affected.

More about this vulnerability

The vulnerability comes from something called Intel Active Management Technology (AMT), which allows devices to be remotely managed in order to make it easier to update software and to also perform maintenance, a feature is usually used by businesses.

The AMT is integrated at a chip level, so it can do more than other management tools. When a system administrator is using AMT, he can remotely access and control a computer’s mouse and keyboard or can even turn on a device that’s been shut down.

Security researchers found that AMT’s web portal can be accessed with just the user admin and any password.

How to check if your computer is affected

The flaw doesn’t affect every Intel chip. Since it’s rooted in AMT, it affects most businesses and some consumers. Helpfully, Intel released a downloadable discovery tool which will analyze your system for the vulnerability.

How to patch this vulnerability?

Update your firmware as soon as possible in order to fix this problem. Intel already created a patch that will soon be released. Meanwhile, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and Fujitsu have already rolled their own.

You can read more about this security flaw on Intel’s Support page.

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If the advices above haven’t solved your issue, your PC may experience deeper Windows problems. We recommend downloading this PC Repair tool (rated Great on TrustPilot.com) to easily address them. After installation, simply click the Start Scan button and then press on Repair All.

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