InSpectre Meltdown and Spectre Check tool released by GRC

[Corky34]

Spectre requires a malicious advert to provide some javascript. You would hope an ad-blocker would fix that, but it feels delicate. There are supposed to be browser updates to fix it at very low performance penalty, but I don't know if those are out yet.

Not only that but I'm guessing a malicious advert running such javascript would also need you (the device it's running on) to be processing sensitive data, e.g you'd need to be logging into your bank account or entering CC details while at the same time having a malicious advert running in another tab or browser session.

[DanceswithUnix]

Not only that but I'm guessing a malicious advert running such javascript would also need you (the device it's running on) to be processing sensitive data, e.g you'd need to be logging into your bank account or entering CC details while at the same time having a malicious advert running in another tab or browser session.

Well I thought tabs in the likes of Chrome were fairly well sand-boxed, so I have to wonder if it can dig into another tab if the script can get to any other running process on the box. Still waiting for details to emerge.

Reminds me of anti virus advice I heard years ago though: Just don't surf for porn on the machine you use for banking.

[mattc]

Well I thought tabs in the likes of Chrome were fairly well sand-boxed, so I have to wonder if it can dig into another tab if the script can get to any other running process on the box. Still waiting for details to emerge.

Reminds me of anti virus advice I heard years ago though: Just don't surf for porn on the machine you use for banking.

Chrome 64, which is out next week, contains fixes;

https://www.neowin.net/news/google-c...d-of-the-month

[OilSheikh]

Win7 Pro SP1 64b - vulnerable
P67 mobo - vulnerable
i7 2600 - vulnerable

So, what option do us old hardware users have ?

[Corky34]

Win7 Pro SP1 64b - vulnerable

AFAIK that shouldn't be vulnerable as Januaries patch was meant to include mitigations.

[ik9000]

Win7 Pro SP1 64b - vulnerable
P67 mobo - vulnerable
i7 2600 - vulnerable

So, what option do us old hardware users have ?

well so far as I can see my option is stay vulnerable or be forced to buy a new CPU, mobo, move to win10 because MS block your commerical win7 licence on new CPUs. Then because it's a new OS and new CPU, mobo etc have to re-buy all your licensed software for photoediting, sound recording, office, etc. And all because MS and intel are greedy, inept, and exploitative. <admin edit>

[adidan]

W7 64 not vulnerable to meltdown with my 3770. Apparent hit to performance but i've not noticed it.

Spectre only resolved if my z77 eventually gets a bios update (not holding my breath)

[ik9000]

so, wow, just went to start looking at what upgrading my system would cost me. Prices seem to have gone flossing dental. £200 for DDR4? £250-300+ for a mobo and £300 for a cpu? Err, yeah but no but NO. The only bits I can reuse would be storage and my long-in-the-tooth GPU, which of all the parts was the one I was next thinking of upgrading. Curses to intel and all of this BS.

[Moby-Dick]

re-buy all your licensed software for photoediting, sound recording, office, etc.

only if those were OEM'd or device based licences in the first place.

[ik9000]

well so far as I can see my option is stay vulnerable or be forced to buy a new CPU, mobo, move to win10 because MS block your commerical win7 licence on new CPUs. Then because it's a new OS and new CPU, mobo etc have to re-buy all your licensed software for photoediting, sound recording, office, etc. And all because MS and intel are greedy, inept, and exploitative. <admin edit>

wow what had I written after that full-stop? I can't recall having sworn in that post. What had I written? Are pancake flippers are now in the swear filter? Strewth mate, soon we'll have no choice but to use Alf Stewartisms... crazy.

Anyway I was posting back here to say that intel have now released updated microcode for Lynnfield, Clarkdale, and similar age processors this month to go along with Sandy Bridge etc last month. The question beckons how to get them given ASUS don't seem too fussed about releasing a new BIOS. There are guides out there for UEFI but not BIOS. Will microsoft roll these into their updates like they've done for some of the other generations?

edit: bad news for the older generations like Penryn though, looks like they've all been stopped. So wow, just snuck through the gate on this one! Also interesting to see that Clarksfield also loses out, but it's unclear given Intel's notes if it's immune or just too complicated to sort it.