vPro what is it and can I use it or can someone else?

[chazzy2501]

I've noticed some of the recon hardware has vpro built in. I can't figure out if I should worry about it. It looks like some kind of ILO for workstations and laptops correct?

 

if so could previous owners control these devices, or can I use the Vpro features without special licensing?

[robjduk]

Its some Intel system which lets you control your hardware centrally (wake on lan, bios updates etc). Looks pretty good but im not bothering as this has dumped after a few years written all over it.

 

https://software.intel.com/en-us/vpro/

[localzuk]

Its heavily used in big businesses for centralised management, and AMD have their own equivalent "Simfire". So, it won't be disappearing but will progress with more capabilities. Its been around for quite some time, I think almost a decade now in fact (AMT 1.0 came out in 05 I think).

 

It doesn't have any security issue with remote control, so you don't have a worry there. A reset of your bios would clear any embedded credentials anyway.

[synaesthesia]

Vpro's been around for donkies - I was certainly fiddling with vPro kit on batches of HP Core2Duo machines (first generation) probably circa 2006/2007. Can't say it's anything worth worrying about at workstation level.

[SYNACK]

vPro can be very powerful but without the right SSL certs it has to be set up manually. Depending on the generation it has all sorts of features, the latest ones let you control the system at the hardware level via VNC even before any OS is loaded, mount ISOs over the network to reinstall etc and moniter, check logs, offer remote support etc. pull the OS off the network while you fix a virus remotely then let it back on and more. It is all network internal though so shouldn't be a security worry and the tools do cost, the VLC version that does it is about $99 though so if you were to set it up on your machines it can be extremely powerful if you want to do stuff remotely.

[plexer]

https://www.realvnc.com/products/viewerplus/

 

Ben

[Arthur]

www.realvnc.com/products/viewerplus

If you change the port to 5900 you can use any VNC client.

 

• Enabling vPro for full KVM (quick and dirty method on a Dell workstation)
  
• Using Intel AMT’s VNC server
  

[SYNACK]

If you change the port to 5900 you can use any VNC client.

 

• Enabling vPro for full KVM (quick and dirty method on a Dell workstation)
  
• Using Intel AMT’s VNC server
  

 

Can't remote mount an ISO with standard VNC though.

[mavhc]

Free software version https://www.meshcommander.com/