Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities Intel (and AMD) Chip Bug

Anonymous
2018-01-04T01:54:57+00:00

A lot of noise on the internet, after Intel confirm that chips have a bug:

https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-responds-to-security-research-findings/ 

This post is to bring some light on this.

1- Intel says is not only their chips affected

2- PCID (Process-Context Identifiers), a chip feature,  has a bug that allow apps (malware) to read data

3- Process-context identifiers (PCIDs) are a facility by which a logical processor may cache information for multiple linear-address spaces. The processor may retain cached information when software switches to a different linear address space with a different PCID.

4- Macintosh and Linux OS are also affected.

Rumors:

1- If you have Haswell (4th-gen) or newer, PCID (Process-Context Identifiers) is enabled. 

2- After apply the patch, performance is going to be slower on newer CPU. Around 5 to 10%.

2- Still if you have older CPU, performance will be affected worse than newer CPUs.

3- To be affected you must have a OS 64 bits. {Correction: 32bits has vulnerability, MS still working on this)

Just as I'm writing this, Linus Torvalds and his team are working on this too:

https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/1/2/703

https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/20180102222354.qikjmf7dvnjgbkxe%40alap3.anarazel.de

Can we get a word from Microsoft?

For windows, What patch is going to address this? (Update: Patch links and KB are listed on postings)

Is that is going to be on the Montly Rollup and/or Security only patches? (Update: See the links posted)

If performance is going to suffer, can we be able to uninstall such patch? (Update: Microsoft published a document about it, See the links posted)

Please, any info will be appreciated.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

77 answers

Sort by: Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2018-01-05T00:49:59+00:00

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-05T01:33:37+00:00

    How about into Windows Update and check for the update that addresses this issue?

    It was released yesterday, is compatible with Windows Defender Security Center, and is downloadable NOW.

    I have it. Works great! And hasn't slowed down anything.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2018-01-05T15:59:28+00:00

    Valdemar, reading this document:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4072698/windows-server-guidance-to-protect-against-the-speculative-execution

    Mentions:

    Customers should take the following actions to help protect against the vulnerabilities:

    1. Apply the Windows operating system update. For details on how to enable this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 4072699.
    2. Make necessary configuration changes to enable protection.
    3. Apply an applicable firmware update from the OEM device manufacturer.

    Important Customers who only install the Windows update will not receive the benefit of all known protections

    So, that means that even after patching we still not safe? 

    Or windows defender will do the registry changes?

    What about the rest of us that we have a different AV?

    I am still waiting for Dell to release firmware.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2018-01-05T16:18:00+00:00

    Read this article which sums it all up pretty well.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  5. Anonymous
    2018-01-05T19:29:03+00:00

    To summarize:

    1- Make sure your Antivirus is certified for the Jan 2018 updates. Update your AV.

    2- Verify the reg keys listed on the MS document are set. (seems like on server OS has to be done manually)

    3- Install the MS updates.

    4- Install your hardware updates (when are available)

    Seems right?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments