Intel is rapidly issuing updates for all types of Intel-based computer systems — including personal computers and servers — that render those systems immune from both exploits referred to as Spectre and Meltdown reported by Google Project Zero.

Security researchers on January 3 disclosed several software analysis methods that, when used for malicious purposes, have the potential to improperly gather sensitive data from many types of computing devices with different vendors’ processors and operating systems.

Intel and its partners have made significant progress in deploying updates as both software patches and firmware updates, a company statement said.

Intel has already issued updates for the majority of processor products introduced within the past five years. By the end of next week, Intel expects to have issued updates for more than 90 per cent of processor products introduced within the past five years. In addition, many operating system vendors, public cloud service providers, device manufacturers and others have indicated that they have already updated their products and services.

Intel said that the performance impact of these updates is highly workload-dependent and, for the average computer user, should not be significant and will be mitigated over time.

While on some discrete workloads the performance impact from the software updates may initially be higher, additional post-deployment identification, testing and improvement of the software updates should mitigate that impact.

System updates are made available by system manufacturers, operating system providers and others. Intel will continue to work with its partners and others to address these issues, the company said.

It has urged computer users worldwide to utilize the automatic update functions of their operating systems and other computer software to ensure their systems are up-to-date. – TradeArabia News Service