That Major Chip Flaw Isn't Limited To Intel PCs, But Affects Smartphones & Other Gadgets Too

A newly uncovered issue with Intel chips is currently rocking the PC world. It seems a kernel error is slowing down the company¡¯s chips after an OS update, but more importantly is leaving them more vulnerable to hackers.

However, there¡¯s worse news now incoming. According to researchers, as well as Intel itself, this chip flaw isn¡¯t limited to one company. In fact, it¡¯s also extended to other chip manufacturers like AMD and ARM.

Why is that a big deal? Well, in the previous state of affairs it meant nearly all computers, servers, and cloud architecture were vulnerable. Now, it seems tablets, smartphones, and other similar devices aren¡¯t safe either. Obviously, being a hardware issue, there¡¯s no fixing that right away. The only temporary solution involves rewriting the code in operating systems to work around this exploit, which means guys like Microsoft, Google, and others are all working overtime.

So, why exactly is this silicon-level goof-up such a big deal? Well, it has to do with how modern computers process data. Older PCs would process using physical memory, which eventually became too unwieldy as their capabilities progressed. Now, computers process data in virtual memory which then links to the physical memory for storage. This virtual memory for each running program is meant to be invisible to others on the same system. However, because of the chip flaw, a program could technically steal data from another one running at the same time.

Think of it like a bank branch with two ATMs sitting side by side. Thanks to a partition in between, two people can each use one of the machines in privacy and move on. But what if one day that partition falls away? Now, one person can look over and steal the other¡¯s PIN without them even knowing. In the same way, thanks to this chip flaw, a malicious program can read the virtual memory allocated to another program running and steal data. And what if the program running is your password manager, or your folders full of personal photos, or your browser with your emails? And suppose this flaw isn¡¯t being exploited on your PC but on a company¡¯s cloud server, the hacker could access another customer¡¯s data as simple as that. See the problem?

Meltdown and Spectre work on personal computers, mobile devices, and in the cloud. Depending on the cloud provider's infrastructure, it might be possible to steal data from other customers.

So far, Intel has released a statement saying it ¡°working with others in the industry, including rivals AMD and ARM Holdings and several operating system vendors, to develop an industry-wide approach to resolve this issue promptly and constructively.¡± Remember here that ARM makes chips widely used in smartphones, and they¡¯ve confirmed the flaw is present in their offerings as well. Even AMD says its chips are vulnerable, but the company believes it¡¯s on steadier footing than the other two.

In the meantime, what you need to do is keep checking on any available security updates from your OS manufacturer, and download them ASAP. In addition, it can¡¯t hurt to follow the usual safety precautions to avoid a malware infection as well.