Intel patches Centrino WiFi vulnerability

Is it just us, or is it strangely coincidental to that the day after a pair of hackers announce their ability to compromise certain computers with certain wireless cards and drivers, Intel busts out a driver update for their Centrino WiFi chips. Maybe we're just reading too much into this. In any case, Intel has fessed up to security vulnerabilities in their Centrino systems "which could potentially lead to remote code execution and system control." They've got some new drivers on their website, but advise users to check with their laptop manufacturer for any device-specific updates. No word yet from Apple on the MacBook hackability.

[Via The Inquirer]

[NBurris @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:54PM]

Hmm, I'm still wondering how they put a 3rd party WiFi card in a Macbook that has NO SLOT! Ain't possible. I can't be the only one who noticed that SMALL detail am I?

[Alex @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:02PM]

@NBurris: It's called USB.

[James @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:25PM]

See, there's no evidence that the MacBook's drivers itself are vulnerable. They used a 3rd part card with 3rd party drivers, and then told the WaPo blogger that the Mac's drivers are vulnerable too, without demonstrating it.

[C Dizzle @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:53PM]

Shame on intel on this one. I'm sured the DefCon demo of the compromised MacBook was exploiting this weakness. It seems that apple will have to demand "separate but equal" drivers from manufacturers if the platform architecture switch nows brings up all sorts of problems from hackers who have cut their teeth on weak windows boxes. OS X is still quite secure, it's just a shame that sh*tty third party drivers can cause the same problems that plague XP.

[pupkick @ Aug 3rd 2006 5:20PM]

All these links, and not ONE to anything from intel about updated drivers.

[Commander Cool @ Aug 3rd 2006 5:20PM]

I think C Dizzle (either intentionally or otherwise) hit on a very valid and often overlooked point.

Sure, Windows is inherently insecure and unstable... but how much of that is because M$ is catering to a million different hardware manufacturers, with a near infinite number of combinations possible. In addition to trying to integrate as many of the more popular devices into windows itself, they are leaving the API's open for the hardware manufacturers to write their own drivers, which are loaded into the kernel... and the cycle continues.

I'm a total Mac fanboi, and will be right there in line to point out that overall OSX is more secure, and more stable. But I also personally believe a good lot of that is because of the tightly integrated hardware/software model Jobbie the Steve has maintained on his product, and as a result, there is far left cruft and overall moving parts to cause things to break.

Essentially what I'm getting at is, sure a Windows machines is less stable, but in all fairness thats not *entirely* M$'s fault.

Just my 47 pesos.

[theinvisibleguy @ Aug 4th 2006 8:57AM]

I searched on Intel's website and couldn't find the patch, the latest drivers they had were released back around 2001. Did Intel even release this patch and if so where do we find it.

[elbow @ Aug 7th 2006 4:02PM]

Here's a link to the updated drivers - they're huge. The download for my 2915ABG is 97MB!

http://support.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/cs-010623.htm