Wednesday, February 21st 2018
Updated Firmware Available for 6th, 7th and 8th Generation Intel Core Processors
Intel today shared in a blog post that they are deploying microcode solutions that have been developed and validated over the last several weeks. These updates aim to patch security vulnerabilities recently found in Intel processors, and will be distributed, mostly, via OEM firmware updates - users who want to have their system hardened against Spectre and Meltdown exploits will have to ensure that their system manufacturer of choice makes these microcode updates available. If they don't do it in a timely fashion, users have no choice but to be vocal about that issue - Intel has now done its part in this matter.
This is the second wave of Intel's patches to mitigate the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, after the first, hasty patch sent users on towards unstable, crashing systems and the inevitable update rollback. Security had already been reinstated, of sorts, for Intel's Skylake processors, but left users of any other affected Intel CPU family out in the cold. Here's hoping this is the one update that actually sticks after thorough testing and validation.
Source:
Intel Newsroom
This is the second wave of Intel's patches to mitigate the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, after the first, hasty patch sent users on towards unstable, crashing systems and the inevitable update rollback. Security had already been reinstated, of sorts, for Intel's Skylake processors, but left users of any other affected Intel CPU family out in the cold. Here's hoping this is the one update that actually sticks after thorough testing and validation.
24 Comments on Updated Firmware Available for 6th, 7th and 8th Generation Intel Core Processors
Pretty much anything up to 10 years old is in there including Penryn and Wolfdale, although not in beta yet. Conroe is the newest CPU type that isn't mentioned.
newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/02/microcode-update-guidance.pdf
Of course if you can keep your machine free of malware, you should be fine. But it is another vector, and quite a big one for that matter.
You are also massively underestimating the amount of people who can exploit this. With example exploits in the wild, I could probably code something. You are right that being at zero risk is a myth in this day and age. But you can and should understand your exploits if you are in IT, and more importantly, why these patches are important.
I always like to update everything fully before I do a clean install like this on a new build. and then run shutupten, apply all. and then never update anything for a year, and rinse and repeat every year. seems to work for me and i never have issues lol
I'd surely keep my performance instead of trading it for security i really don't need, not that kind and that level anyway.
See, the way it works is simple. Someone who knows hot to expoloit could then write malware that works via drive by attack. If they managed to infect a widely used platform like, say, google or facebook, then there are hundreds of millions of people, just like you, that would get infected.
Every single one of those people has at least a little money to loose, and spread around an entire planet, that is hundreds of millions that could be made, between bank accounts, identity theft, stolen credit cards, ece. Malware is often designed like a fishing net for a reason, after all.
They wont spend tons of time on just you. They will spend tons of time on an exploit that affects multiple millions of people, many just like you, and profit that way. You are no special snowflake, but you ARE a prime target, what with you "why would anybody bother with me" attitude.
but, you know what they say, "a fool and his money/identity"