Intel Releases "Spectre" Hardening Microcode Updates for "Ivy Bridge" thru "Westmere" Architectures

[btarunr]

Intel today released the latest round of CPU micro-code updates for its processors, which expand support for Intel processor microarchitectures ranging all the way back to 1st generation Core "Westmere," and "Lynnfield," and including "Sandy Bridge" and "Ivy Bridge" along the way, at various stages of roll-out (beta, pre-production, and production). This update probably features hardening against "Spectre" variant 4, and perhaps even RSRR (rogue system register read) variant 3A, chronicled in CVE-2018-3640.



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[Ferrum Master]

First were Bloomfield/Gainestown, only then die shrinks - Westmere/Gulftown.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Perf impact how much??

 

[Caring1]

"back to 1st generation Core "Westmere," and "Lynnfield,"

First were Bloomfield/Gainestown, only then die shrinks - Westmere/Gulftown.

It doesn't say all First Gen.

 

[ExV6k]

I actually just finished uninstalling the Spectre microcode update from Microsoft (KB4100347). FIgured out it was causing some constant stuttering on The Witcher 3 and Fortnite (i5 2500) on some very specific areas of the games. It affected these two games only, as far as I know.

 

[Jism]

I actually just finished uninstalling the Spectre microcode update from Microsoft (KB4100347). FIgured out it was causing some constant stuttering on The Witcher 3 and Fortnite (i5 2500) on some very specific areas of the games. It affected these two games only, as far as I know.

You know spectre can be exploited as well by simply following a website?

I wonder after all the patches from Intel, how much real performance is left compared to AMD hardware.

For enterprise these patches impact some serious numbers.

 

[Caring1]

I actually just finished uninstalling the Spectre microcode update from Microsoft (KB4100347). FIgured out it was causing some constant stuttering on The Witcher 3 and Fortnite (i5 2500) on some very specific areas of the games. It affected these two games only, as far as I know.

I'm glad your games run better, no need to worry about being a host for the virus and passing it to countless others that think the mitigation is a waste of time ….

 

[mad1394]

I'm glad your games run better, no need to worry about being a host for the virus and passing it to countless others that think the mitigation is a waste of time ….

Are you really confusing vaccination with a microcode update ? What are you even talking about ?
I am stil waiting to hear about actual real world application of these "flaws". So far its all nerds complaining about bios updates.

 

[ExV6k]

I'm glad your games run better, no need to worry about being a host for the virus and passing it to countless others that think the mitigation is a waste of time ….

Nice try, troll. Except Spectre is nothing like a virus, it doesn't "spread" out. Do your homework.

 

[close]

Are you really confusing vaccination with a microcode update ? What are you even talking about ?
I am stil waiting to hear about actual real world application of these "flaws". So far its all nerds complaining about bios updates.

Pretty sure at the end of all that waiting there will be the invariable pointing of fingers at anything but yourself. And I've seen this 1000 times.

Then again people have been known to save their credentials on internet cafe computers because it was too much of a bother to enter them 2-3 times. Why would a stuttering game be any different?

But you're right, this should not be confused with vaccination. That's a whole different ballgame with different stakes.

 

[dogsbody]

I'm glad your games run better, no need to worry about being a host for the virus and passing it to countless others that think the mitigation is a waste of time ….

Forums should employ some kind of IQ test as an additional entry barrier. A minimum score of 60 should be the requirement to confine the likes of you outside.

 

[Octopuss]

My PC still has Ivy Bridge CPU in it. I am not going to "upgrade" to this, mainly because noone else but my wife has physical access to my PC, so Spectre and friends can bite my shiny metal ass, and also because I don't need to lower performance. Not on relatively old system at least.

 

[piloponth]

I was worried after Haswell microcode update, that my mobo manufacturer will not release updated BIOS. I was right, but after submitting a feedback form on a product page (Asus Z97M-PLUS) with serial number of the motherboard, I received email with BIOS binary with updated microcode.

Only bad thing that they didn't updated official BIOS on the product page. So please, bombard you mobo manufacturer with requests for updated BIOS.

 

[Caring1]

Forums should employ some kind of IQ test as an additional entry barrier. A minimum score of 60 should be the requirement to confine the likes of you outside.

This forum should have a filter to weed out trolls such as yourself, only your 2nd post and nothing about the topic. Reported!
Even your "system specs" is trolling.

 

[Static~Charge]

I'm glad your games run better, no need to worry about being a host for the virus and passing it to countless others that think the mitigation is a waste of time ….

Spectre is not a virus, nor is it a host for viruses:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerability)
https://meltdownattack.com/
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3...hat-they-are-how-they-work-whats-at-risk.html

Get your facts straight.

 

[R-T-B]

Spectre is not a virus, nor is it a host for viruses:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerability)
https://meltdownattack.com/
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3...hat-they-are-how-they-work-whats-at-risk.html

Get your facts straight.

Thanks.

Sadly, as much as I agree with one of the low quality posts about us needing to filter better, an IQ test would kill us (I mean, have you ever taken one?), and is biased to certain groups besides... What we are doing now is fine.

 

[nemesis.ie]

I've taken one (admittedly in around 1983) and I'd pass the low quality post's criteria based on it.

 

[R-T-B]

I've taken one (admittedly in around 1983) and I'd pass the low quality post's criteria based on it.

So,

Can you honestly say you'd take another one, just to post here?

I'll answer for you (and keep in mind I love it here):

Fuck no.

 

[nemesis.ie]

No, not at all. That was kind of my point, I've had no interest in over 30 years of doing it again and only did it as it was a free program bundled with a ZX Spectrum or something.

It also doesn't test any kind of practical knowledge. "Common sense is unfortunately not very common" comes to mind.

 

[Aquinus]

I know that it was proven that spectre was a valid exploit but, the simple fact on how it works makes it really hard to actually use for malicious intent. Exposing 1,400 to 2,000 bytes a second (unmitigated,) bit by bit and not all at once, only makes it useful if you know where something is and know that it's not changing or being moved somewhere else. On top of that, the machine also has to be compromised and it needs to be in a sufficiently low level language to exploit how the instructions get compiled, so basically C is your only real option. You also need to know exactly where the data you want is. There have been proof of concepts showing how restricted memory can be accessed but, have there been any proof on concepts actually trying to get secure data rather than bytes set by the developer in the PoC environment? Memory tends to change in an active system quite a bit. Pages get moved, swapped out and in, and actively changed by whatever is going on. Where and when are two very huge factors when trying to exploit spectre.

So, this exploit has been known for a while now, right? Has any malicious software actually been identified as trying to use this exploit and being successful at it? Is it even feasible? I know it can be done but, is it realistic?

 

[Caring1]

Spectre is not a virus, nor is it a host for viruses:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(security_vulnerability)
https://meltdownattack.com/
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3...hat-they-are-how-they-work-whats-at-risk.html

Get your facts straight.

Pedantic aren't WE!
Virus may have been the wrong term (semantics) but the fact remains (IF) stolen data is used that contains usernames/ passwords etc, it can be used to gain control of systems.
If an IQ test were implemented, quite a few members should fail based on their lack of ability to read between the lines and lack of lateral thinking.

 

[AlwaysHope]

Nice of Intel to do this, now I could get my old 1156 platforms a rejuvenation.

 

[jigar2speed]

Except Spectre is nothing like a virus, it doesn't "spread" out.

I agree, anyway you could have used inspectre application which enables you to disable spectre patch whenever you wish and re-enable it when using the internet or doing other stuff.

 

[R-T-B]

If an IQ test were implemented, quite a few members should fail based on their lack of ability to read between the lines and lack of lateral thinking.

We'd also probably have about 2 users and I for one wouldn't be one of them.

 

[Frick]

IQ tests test your ability to take IQ tests, in my experience.