Comment on Exploiting System Management Mode with a very long interruptComments−PunchyHamster1moIt's nice to see SMM is as terrible idea now as it was at moment of conception.All coz they can't be arsed to put a tiny management core separate from the rest and save a penny−quotemstr1moARM has EL3, which is basically the same thing. There's nothing inherently wrong with the CPU having multiple privilege levels. The problem with SMM has always been its user-hostile opaque implementation, not that the technical mechanism exists.−inigyou1moTo be fair it originates from 386. Cores didn't get much smaller and you don't want your CPU to be 1.5 times as expensive.
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It's nice to see SMM is as terrible idea now as it was at moment of conception.
All coz they can't be arsed to put a tiny management core separate from the rest and save a penny
ARM has EL3, which is basically the same thing. There's nothing inherently wrong with the CPU having multiple privilege levels. The problem with SMM has always been its user-hostile opaque implementation, not that the technical mechanism exists.
To be fair it originates from 386. Cores didn't get much smaller and you don't want your CPU to be 1.5 times as expensive.