Not exact matches
Intel has also updated its original Meltdown - Spectre advisory with a new warning about the stability
issues and recommends OEMs and cloud providers test its beta silicon
microcode updates before final release.
Bugs in Intel's
microcode updates for the Spectre Variant 2 attack have caused the most problems on patched systems, prompting HP and Dell to pause and roll back their respective BIOS updates, while Microsoft this week
issued a Windows update that disabled Intel's fix for Variant 2.
On Microsoft's official documentation page, Microsoft says it «is not aware of any
issues that affect this update currently,» but also that you should «consult with your device manufacturer's and Intel's websites regarding their
microcode recommendation for your device before applying this update to your device.»
«Intel has reported
issues with recently released
microcode meant to address Spectre Variant 2 (CVE 2017 - 5715 Branch Target Injection)-- specifically Intel noted that this
microcode can cause «higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behavior» and then noted that situations like this may result in «data loss or corruption.»
In new
microcode revision guidance released by the chipmaker, Intel added a «stopped» status to its
microcode updates relating to the Meltdown and Spectre flaws, which would suggest that it won't be
issuing patches to fully mitigate the vulnerabilities affecting a large number of its microprocessors.
While industry partners had been working on developing the corresponding mitigations for the critical hardware - based flaw, which could not be delivered as a
microcode update, the
issue was substantial enough to prompt Microsoft to release the patch yesterday, ahead of next week's scheduled Patch Tuesday.
Microsoft says it plans to continue
issuing software and
microcode updates as they become available, which means that IT managers will need to continually monitor their vulnerability to these attacks for months or even years to come.