Intel Thunderbolt

2020: Defects in computers with Intel Thunderbolt ports

On May 10, 2020 Intel disclosed information on vulnerabilities in the interface for connection of the peripheral devices Thunderbolt allowing malefactors to abduct data from computers, having a possibility of physical contact with devices.

The researcher Bjørn Retenberg who detected in total 7 vulnerabilities in the interface called the method of stealing of data Thunderspy developed by it. The essence is that, having physical access to the notebook or the desktop computer, the malefactor can get full access to all data which are stored on the hard drive within 5 minutes even if the computer is blocked and function of enciphering of all data on the internal drive is activated.

Defects in computers with Intel Thunderbolt ports allows hackers to copy all data in 5 minutes even in sleep mode

And everything that it is necessary for it for this purpose — the screw-driver, the external drive and couple of exploits. The first exploit completely disconnects Thunderbolt security system, the second — blocks a possibility of further updates of a firmware of the controller.

After shutdown of a security system, the malefactor can clone these authentications of the authorized external devices of the user connected to the computer via the Thunderbolt connector and connect own devices which a system will apprehend as safe.

Intel said that knew about these vulnerabilities and in 2019 together with partners released updates for Windows (is present starting with version 10 1803 of RS4), Linux (since 5.x) and macOS (since 10.12.4). The corporation claims that Retenberg did not try to get data access on devices with upgraded versions of operating systems.

However Retenberg claims that the updates released in 2019 close a gap short. Moreover, according to him, it cannot be eliminated with a program method. The researcher told that vulnerabilities in this or that type are in all devices with the Thunderbolt interface which were released during the period from 2011 to 2020. They will also remain in future versions of USB interfaces 4 and Thunderbolt 4 until Intel changes construction of hardware controllers.

^[1]

2011: Announcement of Thunderbolt

The Intel company announced in February, 2011 the interface for the PC connection under the name Thunderbolt (earlier known under the name Light Peak) developed within cooperation with Apple.

According to representatives of Intel, Thunderbolt provides the high-speed data transmission (including HD video) among all technologies existing today. The interface supports transfer on speed of 10 GB/c that allows to send, for example, 30 GB the movie with HD video in 30 seconds.

At the same time, Thunderbolt integrates high-speed data transmission and HD video within one cable, using the PCI Express protocol for data transmission and DisplayPort for digital displays. Application of the DisplayPort protocol allows to transfer the image with the permission more 1080p, and PCI Express implements a connectivity to the PC to a broad spectrum of devices.

The Thunderbolt interface provides the speed of work which exceeds USB 3.0 indicator twice, by twelve times - FireWire800 and by twenty times - USB 2.0. As representatives of Intel note, simplification of process of interaction between devices and implementation of the innovative solutions in this sphere was their purpose within creation of this technology.

"Processing of HD video is one of the most exacting things during the work with the computer. With Thunderbolt Intel offers the innovative technology to help professionals and consumers to work quicker and easier with their growing media content collection, from music to HD video. We took idea of simple, fast transfer of content between PC and devices, and made it a reality", - said Mooly Eden, the general manager of division of PC Client Group of Intel company.

Today, the plans for Thunderbolt support were already announced by a number of the companies which environments of Western Digital, Blackmagic, Aja, Apogee, Avid, LaCie, Promise and others. It is expected that shortly in the market there will be different products supporting Thunderbolt technology - among them there are computers, monitors, data storage devices, audio/video of the device, the camera, etc.

Analysts note that this technology should extend among the PC and peripheral devices already shortly, however we still should see whether it will manage to it to become the standard for the industry or even to replace already being like that USB 3.0. The most important difference of Thunderbolt from competitors call data transfer rate - thanks to support of speed up to 10 GB / about the interface allows to transfer quickly heavy multimedia files and also to save and recover data quicker, to get access to archive content.

For the first time this technology is going to be implemented in new models of a line of MacBook Pro notebooks from Apple company which were also provided on Thursday. The new MacBook Pro models are equipped with the latest 2-and 4-core Intel processors Core, providing performance improvement to two times in comparison with models of the previous generation.

According to the staff of Intel corporation, the Thunderbolt technology represents the grandiose technical achievement capable to provide high data transfer rate and also simplicity and flexibility of design of notebooks. She is capable to compete with the USB, Firewire and HDMI technologies applied today to connection to the PC of devices of external storage and displays.^[2]

In the course last spring 2013 in Las Vegas of a conference of the American National association of broadcasters (NAB 2013) the Intel corporation reported that new generation of technology of wireless data transmission of Thunderbolt code-named Falcon Ridge will provide data transmission with a speed up to 20 Gbps in both directions (on each of couple of channels) that it twice exceeds the current threshold value, reports the Engadget Internet resource.

Such high performance of the interface will be very useful to the professionals working with content of ultrahigh permission, for example, video of format 4K (3840х2160 — Full HD is four times more). There will be enough capacity of new Thunderbolt for simultaneous transfer of big video files of format 4K and reproduction of such video on displays. The updated interface will save backward compatibility with interfaces of the previous generations, and its implementation in devices will begin in 2014. In plans of the company release of even more high-speed version of Thunderbolt — by 2015 she intends to increase its capacity to 50 Gbps.

Until the end of 2013 Intel will also finish present generation of interfaces. The company provided a host controller of Redwood Ridge which provides speed in 10 Gbps, but consumes less energy, supports DisplayPort 1.2 and can be built in Haswell processors. The last means that the separate controller will not be required any more.

The Thunderbolt technology is created by joint efforts of Apple and Intel and provided in 2011. It provides higher data transfer rate, than USB 3.0, but has also a number of shortcomings. To them the high cost of cables and the small number of devices treat with support of technology, in particular.