Huge Flaw In Intel Chips Can Slow Down Your PC & Laptop, Make Them Easy Target For Hackers
The world¡¯s biggest chipmaker Intel is coming to grips with a vulnerability that leaves vast numbers of desktop computers and laptops to hacking and performance slowdowns.
Almost every conceivable PC and laptop on this planet runs on an Intel chip -- not to mention lakhs of servers that power the Internet and its services. Potentially all of these machines are at risk, in what seems to be the mother-of-all chip-level vulnerability.
A fundamental flaw has been exposed in the architecture of silicon-based processors that Intel makes which will require all operating systems running on them (Linux, Windows, MacOS, etc) to be updated -- and updated fast. But this OS update is going to come at a cost -- it's going to slow down your PC and laptop's performance.
Intel / REUTERS
According to The Register which first noticed this major design flaw in Intel chips, benchmark tests estimate performance to slow down between 5 to 30 per cent. That's huge, definitely something that can't be overlooked.
So what's happening here exactly?
This critical security hole is present at a hardware level on Intel chips, according to reports. Unlike software level security holes which are easier to fix, this hardware issue present at the heart of your computer or laptop can't just be made to go away -- not fully at least. That's why Intel is working with operating system vendors to make changes to some of the most basic and critical levels of your system to contain the problem.
REUTERS
Google researchers were the first to uncover this hardware level chip vulnerability that potentially allows normal user programs to access the protected, most secure memory in the kernel of an operating system. The kernel is like the most critical part of your OS, which handles the most sensitive tasks in your system. Getting kernel access to any system is pretty much the endgame for most hackers, and this hardware hole is like opening the door wide open for them to enter and make merry.
Intel responds to the security vulnerability
Since Intel is one of the largest microprocessor manufactures in the world, with an ironclad monopoly on server, desktop and laptop markets, potentially billions of its systems are affected and this will have significant impact on their business. They've categorically said, in a statement, that this situation isn't unique to Intel products alone, and that "many types of computing devices ¡ª with many different vendors¡¯ processors and operating systems ¡ª are susceptible to these exploits."
Intel concedes that the vulnerability compromises affected systems where they could be exploited by bad guys for "improperly gathering sensitive data from computing devices that are operating as designed." But Intel also clarified that these exploits "do not have the potential to corrupt, modify or delete data."
Meltdown and Spectre
These microprocessor-level hardware security flaws have been named Meltdown and Spectre. Meltdown was independently discovered by three groups, including Google's Project Zero. On the other hand, Spectre was discovered fully by Google's Project Zero and independent researcher Paul Kocher.
intel / REUTERS
Microsoft, Apple are actively working towards fixing Meltdown and Spectre on Intel-based devices. Amazon has said that its cloud server infrastructure has already been secured against Meltdown and Spectre.
But yeah, a major incident like this hasn't affected the computing world since Y2K. Let's hope the fallout from Meltdown and Spectre is as harmless as back then.