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Intel Releases CPU Microcode Updates For MDS Vulnerabilities Unearthed on May 14

btarunr

btarunr

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Intel released CPU microcode updates to address four new security vulnerabilities disclosed by the company on May 14, 2019. These microcode updates can be encapsulated as motherboard UEFI firmware updates, and for some processors even distributed through Windows Update. In its Microcode Revision Guidance document put out on Tuesday, Intel revealed that all Core and Xeon processors going as far as the 2nd generation Core "Sandy Bridge" architecture are eligible for microcode updates.

2nd generation Core is roughly the time when motherboard vendors were forced to adopt UEFI (unrelated to these vulnerabilities). A number of low-power microarchitectures, such as "Gemini Lake," "Cherry View," "Apollo Lake," and "Amber Lake," which are basically all low-power processors released after 2012-13, also receive these updates. Until you wait for your motherboard vendor or PC/notebook OEM to pass on these microcode updates, Intel advises you to disable HyperThreading if your processor is older than 8th gen "Coffee Lake," and seek out the latest software updates.



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No update for Coffee Lake R? Clearly, according to the reports on the mdsattacks website, the 9900K (Coffee Lake R family) is impacted.
 
Where is the Intel Microcode Microsoft KB article?
 
Come on guys, it's called Zombieload, MDS is just Intel's PR naming game to ease people into it.
 
Last edited:
SDR82 said:
No update for Coffee Lake R? Clearly, according to the reports on the mdsattacks website, the 9900K (Coffee Lake R family) is impacted.
Click to expand...

Check the second to last entry in the slide 3/14 it's there but isn't called Coffee Lake R. Intel calls it Coffee Lake S (8+2)
 
Does anyone know the specific Windows Update for this so we can disable said update?
 
Just updated my Haswell setup with the latest 0x27 microcode (used UEFI BIOS Updater).
 
Upgrayedd said:
Does anyone know the specific Windows Update for this so we can disable said update?
Click to expand...
This. Never mind the technical vulnerability, how many PCs will bluescreen after another forced W10 update, or firmware update, and what is the performance impact after update?
 
Hey, look at that, a microcode update.
Code: 
intel-microcode/bionic-updates,bionic-security 3.20190514.0ubuntu0.18.04.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 3.20180807a.0ubuntu0.18.04.1]
I feel like I should run a benchmark or something before installing this. :P
 
Good to see my XEON is OS update capable, I don't want to stuff around doing it myself.
 
Caqde said:
Check the second to last entry in the slide 3/14 it's there but isn't called Coffee Lake R. Intel calls it Coffee Lake S (8+2)
Click to expand...
Ah cool thanks, I completely missed it...weird that they call it 'S' instead of 'R'. Name change perhaps?

Coffee Lake R - Cores - Intel - WikiChip

Coffee Lake R (CFL-R, Coffee Lake Refresh) is the name of the core for Intel's mainstream performance line of processors based on the Coffee Lake microarchitecture serving as a successor to Coffee Lake S. These chips are primarily targeted towards desktop performance to value computers, AiOs...
en.wikichip.org

Coffee Lake S - Cores - Intel - WikiChip

Coffee Lake S (CFL-S) is the name of the core for Intel's mainstream performance line of processors based on the Coffee Lake microarchitecture serving as a successor to Kaby Lake S. These chips are primarily targeted towards desktop performance to value computers, AiOs, and minis. Coffee Lake S...
en.wikichip.org
 
Chomiq said:
Come on guys, it's called Zombieload, MDS is just Intel's PR naming game to ease people into it.
Click to expand...

Even the researchers who discovered it are now calling it MDS.

Zombieload is too sensationalist and is best left to die, regardless of the fact the vulnerability is real. Scary names serve no one.
 
R-T-B said:
Scary names serve no one.
Click to expand...
Just like how it's said that "sex sells", scary words sell as well. It brings in the clicks, hence the fact that it's often called clickbait.
 
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If you did a fresh install after this update has been put live will the fresh install already have this update implemented? and if doing a fresh install can these various past updates be disabled.

Intel can put out whatever benchmark they want showing insignificant figures, I feel like this is them showing just the recent impact of a single patch and not the impact of all the patches combined. I want to see benchmarks of a fresh Win10 naked (completely free of any patches that have fixed all the recent Spectre flaws and whatever else you want to name) vs a Win10 fully patched.
 
trparky said:
Just like how it's said that "sex sells", scary words sell as well. It brings in the clicks, hence the fact that it's often called clickbait.
Click to expand...

And it still serves no one, save the people selling you an agenda.
 
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