Mcextractor - Intel, Amd, Via & Freescale Microcode Extraction Tool

Intel, AMD, VIA & Freescale Microcode Extraction Tool
MC Extractor News Feed
MC Extractor Discussion Topic
Intel, AMD & VIA CPU Microcode Repositories

A. About MC Extractor

MC Extractor is a tool which parses Intel, AMD, VIA as well as Freescale processor microcode binaries. It tin sack live used yesteryear end-users who are looking for all relevant microcode information such equally CPUID, Platform, Version, Date, Release, Size, Checksum etc. It is capable of converting Intel microcode containers (dat, inc, h, txt) to binary images for BIOS integration, detecting new/unknown microcodes, checking microcode health, Updated/Outdated condition as well as more. MC Extractor tin sack live also used equally a query analysis tool amongst multiple structures which allow, amid others, total parsing & information display of all documented or non microcode Headers. Moreover, amongst the aid of its extensive database, MC Extractor is capable of uniquely categorizing all supported microcodes equally good equally banking concern jibe for whatever microcodes which convey non been stored at the Microcode Repositories yet.

A1. MC Extractor Features

Supports all electrical flow & legacy Microcodes from 1995 as well as onward
Scans for all Intel, AMD, VIA & Freescale microcodes inward 1 run
Verifies all extracted microcode integrity via Checksums
Checks if all Intel, AMD & VIA microcodes are Latest or Outdated
Converts Intel containers (dat,inc,txt,h) to binary images
Searches on need for all microcodes based on CPUID
Shows microcode Header structures as well as details on demand
Ignores most fake positives based on sanity checks
Supports known special, fixed or modded microcodes
Ability to apace add together novel microcode entries to the database
Ability to respect Intel Production/Pre-Production Release tag
Ability to analyze multiple files yesteryear drag & drib or yesteryear input path
Ability to ignore extracted duplicates based on cite as well as contents
Reports all microcodes which are non flora at the Microcode Repositories
Features command line parameters to heighten functionality & assist research
Features user friendly messages & proper treatment of unexpected code errors
Shows results inward overnice tables amongst colored text to signify emphasis
Open Source projection licensed nether GNU GPL v3, comment assisted code

A2. Microcode Repository Database
MC Extractor allows end-users and/or researchers to apace extract, view, convert & written report novel microcode versions without the job of special tools or Hex Editors. To produce that effectively, a database had to live built. The Intel, AMD & VIA CPU Microcode Repositories is a collection of every Intel, AMD & VIA CPU Microcodes nosotros convey found. Its being is really of import for MC Extractor equally it allows us to choke on doing research, unwrap novel types of microcode, compare releases for similarities, banking concern jibe for updated binaries etc. Bundled amongst MC Extractor is a file called MCE.db which is required for the programme to run. It includes entries for all Microcode binaries that are available to us. This accommodates primarily 2 actions: a) Check whether the imported microcode is upward to appointment as well as b) Help unwrap novel Microcode releases sooner yesteryear reporting them at the Intel, AMD & VIA CPU Microcode Repositories Discussion thread.

A3. Sources as well as Inspiration
MC Extractor was initially based on a fraction of Lordkag's UEFIStrip tool so, offset as well as foremost, I give cheers him for all his piece of work which inspired this project. Among others, neat places to acquire near microcodes are Intel's ain download site as well as official documentation, Intel Microcode Patch Authentication, Coreboot (a,b,c), Microparse yesteryear Dominic Chen, Ben Hawkes's Notes as well as Research, Richard H5N1 Burton's Microdecode, AIDA64 CPUID dumps, Sandpile CPUID, Free Electrons (a, b), Freescale as well as many to a greater extent than which I may convey forgotten but would convey been hither otherwise.

B. How to job MC Extractor
There are 2 ways to job MC Extractor, MCE executable & Command Prompt. The MCE executable allows y'all to drag & drib 1 or to a greater extent than firmware as well as sentiment them 1 yesteryear 1 or recursively scan entire directories. To manually telephone telephone MC Extractor, a Command Prompt tin sack live used amongst -skip equally parameter.

B1. MC Extractor Executable
To job MC Extractor, lead 1 or multiple files as well as Drag & Drop them to its executable. You tin sack also input for certain optional parameters either yesteryear running MCE direct or yesteryear offset dropping 1 or to a greater extent than files to it. Keep inward hear that, due to operating organisation limitations, at that topographic point is a bound on how many files tin sack live dropped at once. If the latter is a problem, y'all tin sack ever job the -mass parameter to recursively scan entire directories equally explained below.

B2. MC Extractor Parameters
There are diverse parameters which heighten or alter the default demeanour of MC Extractor:

-? : Displays aid & usage screen
-skip : Skips welcome & options screen
-exit : Skips Press motion into to acquire out prompt
-redir : Enables console redirection support
-mass : Scans all files of a given directory
-info : Displays microcode header(s)
-add : Adds novel input microcode to DB
-dbname : Renames input file based on DB name
-cont : Extracts Intel containers (dat,inc,h,txt)
-search : Searches for microcodes based on CPUID
-last : Shows Latest condition based on user input
-repo : Builds microcode repositories from input

B3. MC Extractor Error Control
During operation, MC Extractor may run into issues that tin sack trigger Notes, Warnings and/or Errors. Notes (yellow/green color) render useful information near a feature of this especial firmware. Warnings (purple color) notify the user of possible problems that tin sack drive organisation instability. Errors (red color) are shown when something unexpected or problematic is encountered.

C. Download MC Extractor
MC Extractor consists of 2 files, the executable (MCE.exe or MCE) as well as the database (MCE.db). An already built/frozen/compiled binary is provided yesteryear me for Windows exclusively (icon designed yesteryear Alfredo Hernandez). Thus, you don't postulate to manually build/freeze/compile MC Extractor nether Windows. Instead, download the latest version from the Releases tab, championship should live "MC Extractor v1.X.X". You may postulate to scroll downwards a chip if at that topographic point are DB releases at the top. The latter tin sack live used to update the outdated DB which was bundled amongst the latest executable release, championship should live "DB rXX". To extract the already built/frozen/compiled archive, y'all postulate to job programs which back upward RAR5 compression.

C1. Compatibility
MC Extractor should piece of work at all Windows, Linux or macOS operating systems which convey Python 3.6 support. Windows users who programme to job the already built/frozen/compiled binaries must brand for certain that they convey the latest Windows Updates installed which include all required "Universal C Runtime (CRT)" libraries.

C2. Code Prerequisites
To run MC Extractor's python script, y'all postulate to convey the next 3rd political party Python modules installed:

Colorama

pip3 install colorama

PTable

pip3 install https://github.com/platomav/PTable/archive/boxchar.zip

C3. Build/Freeze/Compile amongst PyInstaller
PyInstaller tin sack build/freeze/compile MC Extractor at all iii supported platforms, it is elementary to run as well as gets updated often.

Make for certain Python 3.6.0 or newer is installed:

python --version

Use pip to install PyInstaller:

pip3 install pyinstaller

Use pip to install colorama:

pip3 install colorama

Use pip to install PTable:

pip3 install https://github.com/platomav/PTable/archive/boxchar.zip

Build/Freeze/Compile MC Extractor:

pyinstaller --noupx --onefile MCE.py

At dist folder y'all should unwrap the lastly MCE executable

D. Pictures
Note: Some pictures are outdated as well as describe older MC Extractor versions.