> Chips don't go off connecting to network servers by themselves

I thought all modern computers still come with Intel Management Engine (ME) type software and hardware on chips? Or is this behavior somehow excused because Silicon Valley and American tech companies are seen as 'the good guys'?

Also, I am now re-reading the Wikipedia page for Intel ME, and it's pretty worrying:

First for those who aren't familiar with Intel ME:

> The Intel Management Engine (ME), also known as the Intel Manageability Engine,[1][2] is an autonomous subsystem that has been incorporated in virtually all of Intel's processor chipsets since 2008.[1][3][4] It is located in the Platform Controller Hub of modern Intel motherboards.

> The Intel Management Engine always runs as long as the motherboard is receiving power, even when the computer is turned off. This issue can be mitigated with deployment of a hardware device, which is able to disconnect mains power.

> The Intel ME is an attractive target for hackers, since it has top level access to all devices and completely bypasses the operating system. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has voiced concern about Intel ME and some security researchers have voiced concern that it is a backdoor.

> Intel's main competitor AMD has incorporated the equivalent AMD Secure Technology (formally called Platform Security Processor) in virtually all of its post-2013 CPUs.[5]

and then about the security vulnerabilities:

> Several weaknesses have been found in the ME. On May 1, 2017, Intel confirmed a Remote Elevation of Privilege bug (SA-00075) in its Management Technology.[37] Every Intel platform with provisioned Intel Standard Manageability, Active Management Technology, or Small Business Technology, from Nehalem in 2008 to Kaby Lake in 2017 has a remotely exploitable security hole in the ME.[38][39] Several ways to disable the ME without authorization that could allow ME's functions to be sabotaged have been found.[40][41][42] Additional major security flaws in the ME affecting a very large number of computers incorporating ME, Trusted Execution Engine (TXE), and Server Platform Services (SPS) firmware, from Skylake in 2015 to Coffee Lake in 2017, were confirmed by Intel on 20 November 2017 (SA-00086).[43][44] Unlike SA-00075, this bug is even present if AMT is absent, not provisioned or if the ME was "disabled" by any of the known unofficial methods.[45] In July 2018 another set of vulnerabilities was disclosed (SA-00112).[46] In September 2018, yet another vulnerability was published (SA-00125).[47]

> In May 2017, Intel confirmed that many computers with AMT have had an unpatched critical privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2017-5689).[39][52][37][53][54] The vulnerability, which was nicknamed "Silent Bob is Silent" by the researchers who had reported it to Intel,[55] affects numerous laptops, desktops and servers sold by Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard (later Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc.), Intel, Lenovo, and possibly others.[55][56][57][58][59][60][61] Those researchers claimed that the bug affects systems made in 2010 or later.[62] Other reports claimed the bug also affects systems made as long ago as 2008.[63][39] The vulnerability was described as giving remote attackers:

> "full control of affected machines, including the ability to read and modify everything. It can be used to install persistent malware (possibly in firmware), and read and modify any data." — Tatu Ylönen, ssh.com[55]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Management_Engine