Cybersecurity firm Eclypsium has detected a hidden mechanism in the firmware used by Taiwanese manufacturer Gigabyte in its motherboard components. The feature triggers an updater function that runs on a system creating a risk that it could upload malware on the computer. The mechanism is triggered outside of the operating system, making removal difficult. Eclypsium’s research found the flaw in the course of scouring client computers for firmware-based malicious code, a tool frequently used by hackers. Gigabyte has reportedly been notified of the issue, but Eclypsium’s John Loucaides said a firmware update might be difficult to achieve for up to 271 computer motherboard models.
https://www.wired.com/story/gigabyte-motherboard-firmware-backdoor/