Intel Boot Guard keys leak as a result of MSI data breach — what this means for you

Laptops and computers using Intel chips could be at risk after a data breach at MSI which also led to a leak of Intel Boot Guard keys.

Back in March of this year, MSI was attacked by the Money Message ransomware gang that claims to have stolen 1.5TB of data including firmware, source code and databases according to BleepingComputer. The cybercriminal group demanded a ransom of $4 million from the company but when MSI refused to pay up, Money Message began leaking all of this stolen data on its data leak site.

Bypassing Intel’s built-in security features

For those unfamiliar, Intel’s Boot Guard is a security feature within its hardware that is designed to prevent hackers from loading malicious firmware in the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). This type of malicious firmware is known as UEFI bootkits.

With these leaked Intel Boot Guard keys in hand, hackers could be able to create malware capable of bypassing Intel’s safety features according to GHacks. If this happens, the malicious firmware which loads before the operating system on an infected machine would be able to hide its activities from both the kernel and security software like the best antivirus software. To make matters worse, even if an operating system is reinstalled, this malicious software would remain persistent on an affected machine.

In a statement to BleepingComputer, an Intel spokesperson provided further insight on the situation, saying:

"Intel is aware of these reports and actively investigating. There have been researcher claims that private signing keys are included in the data including MSI OEM Signing Keys for Intel® BootGuard. It should be noted that Intel BootGuard OEM keys are generated by the system manufacturer, and these are not Intel signing keys."

At the moment, there isn’t really much Intel users can do to protect themselves from potential threats but we’ll update this story once we find out more.

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Anthony Spadafora is the managing editor for security and home office furniture at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.