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GeneralRe: CERT: “Meltdown and Spectre” CPU Security Flaw Can Only Be Fixed by Hardware Replacement Pin
Member 136003634-Jan-18 4:18
professionalMember 136003634-Jan-18 4:18 
NewsHow to protect your home router from attacks Pin
Kent Sharkey3-Jan-18 11:46
staffKent Sharkey3-Jan-18 11:46 
NewsMicrosoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Kent Sharkey3-Jan-18 11:46
staffKent Sharkey3-Jan-18 11:46 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Mike Hankey3-Jan-18 13:51
mveMike Hankey3-Jan-18 13:51 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Kent Sharkey3-Jan-18 14:02
staffKent Sharkey3-Jan-18 14:02 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 2:00
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 2:00 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 2:26
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 2:26 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Dan Neely4-Jan-18 2:57
Dan Neely4-Jan-18 2:57 
There're two vulnerabilities.

Meltdown is a bug that affects Intel and some ARM CPUs that AMD claims doesn't affect them. This is the more serious one that there're performance eating work arounds for.

Spectre affects all vaguely modern CPUs (anything with speculative execution and a cache, ie anything with the minimum sophistication of a desktop chip from ~25 years ago or later). The only good news is that this side channel is much harder to exploit effectively. The bad news is that mitigating it is going to be a lot harder.

The best soundbyte I've seen for how bad Meltdown is is that Linus who's known for massive rants anytime a security change is proposed that has even a minor performance regressions hasn't said a word opposing these changes.

The second is that the linux kernel devs were sufficiently disgusted that they considered naming their fix for Meltdown "Forcefully Unmap Complete Kernel With Interrupt Trampolines" (aka Elephant | [mastadon] WIT)

Ars's article gives a solid rundown of what each bug is, The Register has a breakdown of what the platforms successfully exploited so far for each are:

“Meltdown” and “Spectre”: Every modern processor has unfixable security flaws | Ars Technica

Meltdown, Spectre: The password theft bugs at the heart of Intel CPUs • The Register
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Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius

Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
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GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 3:45
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 3:45 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Dan Neely4-Jan-18 4:03
Dan Neely4-Jan-18 4:03 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 23:16
Rob Grainger4-Jan-18 23:16 
GeneralRe: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs Pin
abmv4-Jan-18 4:01
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NewsThese psychedelic stickers blow AI minds Pin
Kent Sharkey3-Jan-18 11:31
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GeneralRe: These psychedelic stickers blow AI minds Pin
Marc Clifton3-Jan-18 13:10
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GeneralRe: These psychedelic stickers blow AI minds Pin
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GeneralRe: These psychedelic stickers blow AI minds Pin
BillWoodruff4-Jan-18 1:17
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NewsWill 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
Kent Sharkey3-Jan-18 11:01
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
raddevus3-Jan-18 11:10
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
Dave Kreskowiak3-Jan-18 11:20
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
Joe Woodbury3-Jan-18 12:34
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
Kent Sharkey3-Jan-18 12:45
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
Joe Woodbury3-Jan-18 12:48
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
jgakenhe3-Jan-18 19:02
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
Kaladin4-Jan-18 2:02
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GeneralRe: Will 2018 see the death of printers and email in the workplace? Pin
snorkie4-Jan-18 2:06
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