Intel MEI Do I need it?

Hazel123 · Jan 20, 2025

After installing on a laptop (posted about elsewhere) I have two exclamation marks in device manager. One was the card reader so installed that driver. The other it turns out is the Intel Management Engine Interface. This appears as a Chipset Driver on the manufacturer page. Do I actually need this? All seems to be running fine. The laptop was originally on Windows 8.1 so presumably it's quite an old driver. The name on device manager is PCI Simple Communications Device. The PCI/Dev identified it as Intel MEI

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 20, 2025

You should have it installed.

The Intel MEI (Management Engine Interface) driver is a software component that allows communication between the operating system and the Intel Management Engine (ME) embedded in Intel chipsets. It makes a lot of sense to have it installed.

Or from Intel's own official documentation.

This host driver is the interface between the Intel® Converged Security and Management Engine (Intel® CSME) firmware and the operating system. Drivers and applications on the host that wish to interact with Intel® CSME can use the Intel® MEI driver.

It should be installed.

Hazel123 · Jan 20, 2025

Thank you. I saw someone on the HP site with a similar question as the driver wouldn’t install as it was originally for Windows 8.1. Hence checking so I don’t mess up my new install. On there someone from HP linked him a newer driver which he was nervous about using. There aren’t any newer drivers on the manufacturer website. I’m wondering why Windows didn’t install it.

SIW2 · Jan 20, 2025

Intel® Management Engine Critical Firmware Update (Intel-SA-00086)

Security Advisory (Intel-SA-00086), a critical firmware vulnerability in systems.

www.intel.com

glasskuter · Jan 20, 2025

Unless you have disabled installing drivers through windows update, I have found that most times windows update will install that driver.

Hazel123 · Jan 20, 2025

SIW2 said:
Intel® Management Engine Critical Firmware Update (Intel-SA-00086)

Security Advisory (Intel-SA-00086), a critical firmware vulnerability in systems.

www.intel.com

Thanks. I think I'll leave it out then. It shows as a device Glasskuter - next to the card reader in Device Manager. But maybe there's a reason Windows didn't install it if it's vulnerable and it is not a very recent driver either. I'm pretty sure I ran this machine without it for some time last time!

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 20, 2025

SIW2 said:
Intel® Management Engine Critical Firmware Update (Intel-SA-00086)

Security Advisory (Intel-SA-00086), a critical firmware vulnerability in systems.

www.intel.com

This only applies to certain Intel Processors and not to recent ones. The 8th gen Intel processors are really old and first released in 2017 which is when the security advisory was released by Intel.

abactuon · Jan 21, 2025

There's some company promising to shut down the ME.

Intel's Management Engine – Purism

Recent CPUs from Intel requires a binary called the “Management Engine” (Intel ME, or ME for short). This binary is one of three parts required if a business elects to use Intel’s Active Management Technology (AMT), which Purism avoids. Purism laptops can function with a neutralized and disabled...

puri.sm

glasskuter · Jan 21, 2025

Hazel123 said:
next to the card reader in Device Manager.

That's strange. In my machine it's under system devices. See sreenshot.

@Marcus Vinicus Mine is a 10th generation i9 and it has IMEI that was last updated through a scan using Intel Driver Support Assistant.
I think the link that both you and @SIW2 listed above is for a firmware update, not the driver for IMEI. The driver for 7th gen thru 14th gen core processors IMEI is here.

Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows 10* and Windows 11*

www.intel.com

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Rollback_Jockey · Jan 21, 2025

glasskuter said:
That's strange. In my machine it's under system devices.

It will be there once it's correctly installed.

neves · Jan 21, 2025

glasskuter said:
That's strange. In my machine it's under system devices. See sreenshot.

@Marcus Vinicus Mine is a 10th generation i9 and it has IMEI that was last updated through a scan using Intel Driver Support Assistant.
I think the link that both you and @SIW2 listed above is for a firmware update, not the driver for IMEI. The driver for 7th gen thru 14th gen core processors IMEI is here.

Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows 10* and Windows 11*

www.intel.com

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that.

That's for the IME interface, but it also has other affiliated drivers installed in Software Components - like iCLS Client and IME WMI Provider. Normally, Intel recommends - to install the OEM driver - since this is one of those drivers that's usually modified/customized by the OEM - to include specific features (which tend to be missing - while using the standardized Intel Driver). Tho, most OEMs neglect their (older) products after awhile - so this drivers end-up outdated. Even so, security wise - you need a patched firmware which includes the latest vulnerabilities - and only the OEM can provide that (Intel can discover this vulnerabilities - but will ask you to contact the OEM for a patched firmware update). Unfortunatly, this can not be secured with Windows drivers - since the IME has higher priority than Windows. Thus, even if the OEM drivers is outdated - and a new version is around - the system will be equallly vulnerable with both drivers - if there's no firmware covering said vulnerabilities.

You can check to see if your system is secured (firmware wise), using the latest - Intel® Converged Security and Management Engine Version Detection Tool (Intel® CSMEVDT)

SIW2 · Jan 21, 2025

I posted the link for info. and because it includes a link to a program that checks for vulnerabilties.

The link indicates there were previously vulnerabilities, so it is not impossible ther may be others in future.

August 2024
Intel® 700 series chipset
Intel® 600 series chipset

INTEL-SA-00999

www.intel.com

It is curious there is no real information about what it is for, just obfuscatory verbiage.

As far as I can make out, you have no choice about the firmware. You have it whether you want it or not (possible exceptions being purism )

However, as far as I can tell, the software is for some kind of remote management . I dont know why a normal consumer would need or want such a thing.

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2025

Normally, Intel recommends - to install the OEM driver - since this is one of those drivers that's usually modified/customized by the OEM - to include specific features (which tend to be missing - while using the standardized Intel Driver). Tho, most OEMs neglect their (older) products after awhile - so this drivers end-up outdated.

That is my concern - it's outdated on the HP site and was originally for Windows 8.1. I saw a post on the HP site where someone said it didn't work and they were given a new one to try by someone from HP and they were a bit nervous about (mentioned above) which I can understand as it seemed a bit of an informal way of doing it with no official resource link.

Scannerman · Jan 21, 2025

I recall reading a warning on Intel's site about installing drivers via IME before checking to see if your PC manufacturer had the proprietary equivalent. You can lose certain features that came with your PC if you opt for Intel's drivers instead of what your PC manufacturer provides. Myself, I don't worry about it because the warranty is already off my main PC(s) but on my new laptop I would go to the manufacturer for the driver updates first.

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2025

glasskuter said:
That's strange. In my machine it's under system devices. See sreenshot.

@Marcus Vinicus Mine is a 10th generation i9 and it has IMEI that was last updated through a scan using Intel Driver Support Assistant.
I think the link that both you and @SIW2 listed above is for a firmware update, not the driver for IMEI. The driver for 7th gen thru 14th gen core processors IMEI is here.

Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows® 10 and Windows® 11

Intel® Management Engine Drivers for Windows 10* and Windows 11*

www.intel.com

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Had a look under system devices and it's not there. This is where it appears (attached screenshot). The one above it originally had a warning triangle - that was the card reader driver, which I installed, but that doesn't seem quite right either. It doesn't display as the Realtek card reader once the driver is installed - just a question mark.

The PCI/VEN says it's the Intel MEI. Also attached the driver on the HP web page for it - under Chipset Drivers.

I'm not quite clear on the vulnerability aspect - are you saying it's vulnerable with it or without it? Or both?!

I think when I was using this laptop on windows 11 a few years back I just ignored both of those triangles. Seemed to be ok.

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2025

Marcus Vinicus said:
This only applies to certain Intel Processors and not to recent ones. The 8th gen Intel processors are really old and first released in 2017 which is when the security advisory was released by Intel.

View attachment 122729

This is a fourth generation processor - really old

Scannerman · Jan 21, 2025

Right clicking on the bang (yellow triangle) can sometimes open a window that will have tabs that can help you better identify what it's for. It does appear to be for a card reader. Hopefully you'll find a driver that works with it. Sometimes this can be solved if you have the manufacturer driver disk (or media) and then upgrade the driver. There is also software you can use to search it out, but sometimes you won't get the right driver with third party software and will have to uninstall it.

man00 · Jan 21, 2025

After searching mine shows as for Windows 10

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2025

I just looked on my 10th generation laptop and that does have IMEI under system devices, the same as glasskuter's screenshot. This one was a clean install of Windows 11 and Windows installed all drivers. I had no warning triangles. That suggests to me that there isn't a driver for the 4th gen laptop or it's not a safe driver.

Scannerman · Jan 21, 2025

Hazel123 said:
This is a fourth generation processor - really old

Unless it's a TBMT3 driver there might still be hope. Since it's an old unit if you can't fix it with Intel's MEI you could try something like Driver Booster by IObit to find the driver. Since Driver booster is "freeware" (unless you get the paid version) I recommend uninstalling it after you get your driver(s).

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