Communications of the ACM
Intel Patching the Patch for the Patch for 'Zombieload' Flaw
Intel plans to issue a third patch for the same vulnerability of its processors.
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Intel said it will release yet another patch for a microarchitectural data sampling (MDS) vulnerability that allows hackers to fool microprocessors into exposing protected data.
The newest patch is intended to address MDS-based chip exploits that have persisted, despite two previous patches released last year.
Researchers and analysts disclosed the initial attack last May, following a warning to Intel nearly a year earlier.
Intel's first patch added a safeguard to the processors' microcode to delete sensitive data from the chip when it shifts between processes with different security privileges—but two other MDS attack variants remained viable.
Researchers said the persistence of MDS attacks suggests little effort on Intel's part to proactively identify new flaws or variations of existing vulnerabilities.
From Wired
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