Researchers from Positive Technologies have found a way to disable the Intel Management Engine (ME), a much-hated component of Intel CPUs. Intel ME is a separate processor embedded with Intel CPUs that runs its own operating system complete with processes, threads, memory manager, hardware bus driver, file system, and many other components. Intel has always advertised Intel ME as a way for companies to manage computers running on their internal networks. Many have tried to disable Intel ME and failed because Intel has interwoven the ME component within the boot-up process.
Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/hardware/researchers-find-a-way-to-disable-much-hated-intel-me-component-courtesy-of-the-nsa/