Analysts discovered a new security alert yesterday, which shows that most computer processors have a design flaw. The design flaw enables malicious lines of code to enter a PC’s operating system kernel and can steal data like passwords or even information from the programs installed on the machine.
These two alerts, known as Meltdown and Spectre, can affect the vast majority of PCs. Meltdown goes after Intel processors and Spectre takes down ARM and AMD chips. All though Meltdown and Spectre sounds like the name of a show you’d see on The Cartoon Network, the deadly duo represent a real threat and pose some serious questions. Is your PC in danger? What can you do about it? Today, we’re here to talk you through both.
What exactly is Meltdown and Spectre?
We’re not talking about a Bond movie here, rather a vulnerability that affects PC processor chips. They sneak into the kernel (the core of the operating system), which is a habitually blocked off place. This then allows any user with minimal knowledge to access the data of any account or service the PC uses.
Anybody who has used an infected PC could be vulnerable. Researchers have shown that Meltdown and Spectre can read the kernel’s memory and even the physical memory of an infected system. They can then force, normally secure applications, to share sensitive data.
Is my PC affected?
Almost certainly. This vulnerability affects all Intel chips manufactured from 1995 onwards. ARM chips are a little less likely to be vulnerable (although it can affect Android phones), and although AMD are saying that their chips are not vulnerable to attack, researchers are saying otherwise. Apple have also that all Macs, Macbooks and iPhones have been affected.
So, the first thing you can do to check if your PC is affected is download the tool that Intel has made available to users, the Intel-SA-00086 Detection Tool, which you can download here.
After downloading the tool you’ll find the file DiscoveryToolGUI. Execute it (give the software administrator permissions, if needed) and then you’ll be able to find out if your PC has been hit.
For now this tool works for Windows as well as for Linux. Although some Mac computers are vulnerable, there is still no compatible tool to check your Mac.
How can I fix my PC if it has been hit?
Did the tool tell you your system was vulnerable? If so, don’t panic! Microsoft has already announced that they have released a security update for all their computers. If you have automatic updates enabled in Windows you will end up installing the update pretty quickly. If not, go to the Windows Settings section and check for a new update: if you do not have it yet, stay calm, it’s coming. You can find out more about this patch on Microsoft’s official page.
Of course, Microsoft warns that this update may cause certain performance problems like the appearance of blue screens (especially if you have an antivirus installed), but also provides the solution to these problems.
In the event that the vulnerability affects your smartphone, Google has confirmed that the latest Android security update, from January 2, has already solved the problem, and that they are also working on a solution that will be implemented on Chrome 64 and Chrome OS.
If you are a Mac user, the next macOS update, 10.12.2, should solve the problem.
If you still have doubts, we recommend that you enter the official website of Meltdown and Spectre, where the researchers who discovered vulnerability are posting all the relevant information.
Follow me on Twitter: @PatrickDevaney_
