Spectre & Meltdown

[Warner Losh]

On Jan 13, 2018 11:22 AM, "Dave Wade via cctalk" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Murray
> McCullough via cctalk
> Sent: 13 January 2018 18:09
> To: cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Spectre & Meltdown
>
> I wrote about Spectre and Meltdown recently: INTEL took its time to inform
> the world! Did it inform the world back in earlier days about potential
flaws?
> Not to blame INTEL only: What about Zilog, etc.? Or did pre-Internet era
> protect us computer-classic users? What about running emulation software
> as I’ve been doing with ADAM?

It delayed telling the world to allow time for OS providers to apply fixes.
This is now standard and the delays are defined...

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/intel-
fixing-security-vulnerability-chips-52122993


Linux, Windows and Mac got notified early November. FreeBSD just before
Christmas with no time to cope. All other BSDs and OpenSolaris found out on
release :(.

But this embargo was super long. Intel found out in June...

Warner


but it looks like in this case it leaked early. Similar bugs affect ARM,
AMD and PowerPC but nothing from them either. IBM won't tell the world (it
will tell customers, but I am not a customer) if and how it affects Z.


>
>
>
> Happy computing!
>
>
>
> Murray  J

Dave