There is a serious security flaw in billions of Intel CPUs that can let attackers steal confidential data like passwords and encryption keys. Firmware updates can fix it, but at a potential significant performance loss.

Oh no.

  • The Octonaut@mander.xyzEnglish
    841·
    1 year ago

    Would it mean that a malicious application being run in non-admin mode by one user could see data/memory in use by an admin user?

    • OverambitiousNewbieEnglish
      87·
      1 year ago

      It would indeed imply that which is why this vulnerability is also serious for single user contexts.

      The vulnerability is caused by memory optimization features in Intel processors that unintentionally reveal internal hardware registers to software. This allows untrusted software to access data stored by other programs, which should not normally be accessible.