Is your computer at risk from the vulnerabilities that have been at the heart of Intel and AMD processors for the past two decades? Probably. The question is, what should you do next?
While the directly involved processor manufacturers Intel and AMD are working with Apple, Microsoft, and various Linux distributions to develop updates, there's a chance that your PC isn't affected. This is especially true if you're running an older operating system.
So you might want to buy a new computer. But what devices are available right now that aren't at risk?
The problem and the solution
Meltdown and Spectre are hardware-level flaws that affect the majority of computers and mobile devices. The weakness lies in the way (and the order in which) a CPU processes data and can be exploited by a remote attacker.
This results in the data from your current browser session (or other data on your computer) being at risk of being leaked. The vulnerability can also be used against virtual machine environments (VMs).
Meltdown only affects Intel processors, while Spectre affects Intel, AMD, and ARM processors.
Fortunately, at this time, malicious users do not seem to have found a way to exploit the vulnerabilities. However, it is vital that you install every security update that your computer manufacturer releases. Hackers know that not everyone will install the updates, and so there will be an attempt to exploit the flaw.
What is certain is that once vulnerabilities are discovered and published, sooner or later malware will be released.
We mention this to emphasize the need for immediate updates in the coming weeks and months. If there are no updates, seriously consider buying a new phone, tablet, computer or laptop.
How many devices are affected?
Twenty years ago, Apple users could have been overjoyed, as the vulnerability only affected Intel processors. In the following years, of course, Apple eschewed traditional PPC processors and switched to Intel.
These days, the vast majority of desktops and laptops run on 32-bit or 64-bit processors, from Intel or AMD. Meanwhile, mobile devices overwhelmingly use ARM CPUs (though some use Intel processors).
So you should probably be pretty sure that your Windows PC or laptop is affected by the security holes. So are Macs and Chromebooks. The bugs are hardware-related, so the operating system isn't the problem. The problem is with how your computer's CPU was designed.
Hardware not affected by Meltdown and Spectre
One of the most common phrases used for these vulnerabilities is: “every CPU released in the last 20 years is affected,” but that’s not entirely true. In fact, some of the most popular devices on the market today are not affected by Meltdown and Spectre. Forum.level1techs.com has published a list of both old and new hardware that are not affected .
Older CPUs not affected by Meltdown and Spectre
In general, the oldest CPUs that may still be in use can be found in older computers, workstations, and Apple G3 and G4 systems: StrongARM: Commonly used in PDAs and PocketPCs in the 1990s and early 2000s. SuperSPARC: Found in high-end servers and workstations during the 1990s. Transmeta Crusoe and Efficeon chips : Commonly used in mobile devices in the early 2000s, especially laptops. “Classic” X86: Any computer with an Intel processor released in the 1980s, up through the Pentium 1 era and into the 1990s. This includes the WinChip, VIA C3, 386, 486, and their clones. PPC 750 and PPC 7400: Used in Mac G3 and G4 computers. New processors not affected by the vulnerabilities Overall, ARM processors are not affected by the vulnerabilities of Intel and AMD processors: ARM Cortex-A7 MPCore: Found in the Raspberry Pi 2. ARM Cortex-A53 MPCore: Found in the Raspberry Pi 3. Also found in many Android phones, such as those with Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 or 650 SoCs (System on a Chip). Intel Atom: Many laptops and tablets use Intel Atom processors. Those in the Diamondville, Silverthorne, Pine Trail, and Pineview series are not affected by the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. You'll need to check Google for details due to the huge number of Atom variants. VIA C7: These CPUs can be found in low-end Windows XP and Vista products. Intel Itanium: Found in servers that have been around since the 2000s. RISC-V: The open-source processor architecture that is very popular in the Internet of Things and runs on Nvidia's GeForce graphics cards. Western Digital has also announced its intention to use RISC-V processors in its hardware.
The future: What about new computers?
We should probably expect new computers with completely new processors that are immune to Meltdown and Spectre in 2018. Quite simply, processor companies will have to change technologies.
Do you need to change or modify?
Unfortunately, this time, there's nothing you can do. Windows 10 will install the updates, while devices running macOS and popular Linux distributions should upgrade immediately with each update that is released. But with the solutions that have been released so far, the problem doesn't seem to be solved.
New computers, smartphones, and tablets will be released from 2018 onwards. Meltdown and Spectre won't affect your computing experience forever, as long as you're ready to switch systems.
- Meltdown and Spectre: What do they hide about vulnerabilities?
- Meltdown and Spectre: They will happen again…and again
