The latest open front at Intel is the discovery of a vulnerability called SPOILER. This security vulnerability affects processors from Core 1st Generation to Core 9th Generation. According to the researchers who discovered the vulnerability, it is not possible to patch it using software. This vulnerability allows attackers to carry out an attack called Rowhammer more easily, thus managing to steal our data. Faced with this problem, the company has said that they are working on a software update that would correct it
Intel would be working on a solution to mitigate SPOILER
The Register asked Intel directly, who has reported that they are working on software updates. Specifically, they work on software patches for silicon and DRAM to mitigate the possibility of these attacks. It seeks to offer the highest possible security against a possible Rowhammer attack. They have highlighted that they are working on implementation:
“Intel was notified of this investigation and we hope that the software can protect itself against such problems by employing secure side channel development practices. This includes avoiding flows of control that depend on the data of interest. Also, we hope that memory modules that are mitigated against Rowhammer-style attacks remain protected. Protecting our customers and their data remains a top priority for us and we appreciate the efforts of the security community for their ongoing investigation. "
As expected, this information has raised a lot of interest from the general public. Above all, the controversy is that this vulnerability only affects Intel, not affecting AMD processors. On the other hand, we do not know if this vulnerability will be corrected in the Ice Lake processors based on the 10nm lithography that will be launched on the market at the end of the year. One more new problem for Intel, which has many open fronts.
