Friday, November 5th 2021
Intel Disables DirectX 12 API Loading on Haswell Processors
Intel's fourth-generation Core processors, codenamed Haswell, are subject to new security exploits. According to the company, a vulnerability exists inside the graphics controller of 4th generation Haswell processors, happening once the DirectX 12 API loading occurs. To fix the problem, Intel has found that disabling this API results in a fix. Starting with Intel graphics driver 15.40.44.5107 applications that run exclusively on DirectX 12 API no longer work with the following Intel Graphics Controllers: Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200/5100, HD Graphics 5000/4600/4400/4200, and Intel Pentium and Celeron Processors with Intel HD Graphics based on 4th Generation Intel Core.
"A potential security vulnerability in Intel Graphics may allow escalation of privilege on 4th Generation Intel Core processors. Intel has released a software update to mitigate this potential vulnerability. In order to mitigate the vulnerability, DirectX 12 capabilities were deprecated." says the Intel page. If a user with a Haswell processor has a specific need to run the DirectX 12 application, they can downgrade their graphics driver to version 15.40.42.5063 or older.
Source:
Intel
"A potential security vulnerability in Intel Graphics may allow escalation of privilege on 4th Generation Intel Core processors. Intel has released a software update to mitigate this potential vulnerability. In order to mitigate the vulnerability, DirectX 12 capabilities were deprecated." says the Intel page. If a user with a Haswell processor has a specific need to run the DirectX 12 application, they can downgrade their graphics driver to version 15.40.42.5063 or older.
71 Comments on Intel Disables DirectX 12 API Loading on Haswell Processors
Not a good look from a security standpoint but I'm not sure how much it really matters on 7-year-old SKUs, most of which should be really relegated to 2D office/home usage nowadays.
As for emulators, didn't Dolphin eventually drop DX12 support despite showing some sizeable performance boost from it? So completely dead alongside vulkan there?
Eh, close enough.
Still I find the whole "disable and call it a fix" dumb. Maybe I should become a car mechanic, i'll just tell everyone to turn the car off and its fixed, then charge them a few grand because its hard work to fix cars.
"Oh man, the heated mirrrors on this 15-year-old model have a non-zero chance of catching fire. Ideas?"
"Send out new mirrors that don't catch fire?
"Nah, just push out a TSB to cut power to the mirrors."
Bummer that your mirrors don't self-defrost anymore, but at least you've got a 99.5% functional car that won't burst into flames. And if you REALLY need that function? Use the old drivers. Er, don't bring the car in for the TSB service and accept the risks. *shrug*
I like how the new CPUs still have the same vulnerability that they didn’t bother to fix
www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/topic-technology/software-security-guidance/processors-affected-consolidated-product-cpu-model.html
I wonder how much of their IPC gain will magically disappear when it’s fixed
In my opinion, Intel have done this, because Haswell is pretty old and the number of people using this generation keep reducing as systems die or are upgraded to something newer, so they're highly unlikely to be targeted by a lawsuit. Just imagine if HT had been disabled when Spectre and Meltdown happened, to mitigate the risk. That would have resulted in lawsuits for sure. Instead, they found a way to keep HT on, but with reduced performance.