Privacy

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Microsoft Pluton - How bad is this on a new Intel/AMD laptop running Linux? (learn.microsoft.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Recently I came across Microsoft Pluton while searching for a new laptop. Initially I thought it was like TPM and wouldn't affect Linux. But the more I researched, the worse it got. According to them

Microsoft Pluton is a chip-to-cloud security technology that provides hardware-based root of trust, secure identity, secure attestation, and cryptographic services

Does it connect to Cloud irrespective of the OS I ran? If yes this could be a privacy nightmare.

Why aren't more people talking about this? It been here at-least since the last two generation of CPUs from AMD (from my research worst offender) and Intel.

Isn't this a privacy violation lawsuit waiting to happen? In what ways does this Microsoft Pluton chip affect people who use Linux and should I not buy a new Laptop?

Also what about manufactures like Framework? Are they also forced to work with this chips?

From where I am, used laptops are not worth it.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Vendors are no longer actively implementing the pluton spec. It's not in itself equivalent to Intel ME, whereas something like platform security processor (aka PSP - based on ARM TrustZone) could be considered a closer equivalent.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

can you please explain in a little more depth? are you saying pluton is basically dead in the water and is likely to disappear from implementations in silicon in the near future?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Pluton capable hardware is present on a wide range of contemporary IHV offerings (requires TPM2 hw on the SoC) but OEMs selling devices with these don't seem remotely interested in enabling it.

Vendor uptake has been minimal, and participating vendors seem to have changed their minds and stopped, though I don't think this will affect hw implementation as that wasn't really governed by Microsoft to begin with.