Asus bios copy files during windows installation transparently to the user
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During testing with the Intel Core i9-9900K, Techpowerup has discovered that the new ASUS Z390 motherboards automatically install software and drivers on Windows 10, without the need for network access and without user knowledge or confirmation. This process occurs in complete isolation from the network.
Asus BIOS makes it easy to install drivers on Windows
On the first boot, with the machine without LAN or Internet connectivity, an ASUS specific window was received in the lower right corner of the screen, asking if they wanted to install the network drivers and download "Armory Crate". At the end of the installation, three files signed by ASUS were discovered in the Windows 10 System32 folder, which, apparently, magically appeared on the hard drive. Upon further investigation, a new running system service named "AsusUpdateCheck" was also found.
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These files could not come from the Windows or network image, leaving the 16-megabyte UEFI BIOS of the motherboard as the sole suspect. The files themselves, totaling approximately 3.6 MB in size, appear harmless and belong to a program made by ASUS called "ASUS Armory Crate". This program obtains the latest drivers for your hardware from ASUS servers and installs them in an automated process with little user intervention.
ASUS UEFI firmware exposes an ACPI table to Windows 10, called "WPBT" or "Windows Platform Binary Table". WPBT is used in the OEM industry, and is known as "the provider rootkit". Simply put, it is a script that makes Windows copy the BIOS data to the System32 folder on the machine and run it during Windows s startup, every time the system is started.
If you put privacy concerns aside for a moment, there are advantages and disadvantages to what ASUS is trying to accomplish. Because it is enabled by default, this method makes installing system drivers and software easier than ever by also making the network driver work. It is particularly useful as motherboard vendors continue to supply drivers on a DVD, and optical disc drives are declining, leaving people with little choice.
The app also searches for the latest ( most stable) versions of the drivers found on the ASUS website. The most obvious downside is cybersecurity.
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