That Pervasive Chip Bug Is Worse Than Originally Feared
Chip flaws that threaten to reveal private data to any program on your PC have now been shown to affect most of the world’s computers and many phones.
What’s new: The troubling Intel chip bug we reported yesterday is actually one of a pair of similar flaws, Meltdown and Spectre, that also affect hardware made by other firms. They both allow regular programs to spy on what was previously thought to be protected memory used by the processor.
Why it matters: Chipmakers ARM and AMD say some of their silicon can be hit by Spectre. Combined with Intel, that leaves most smartphones, computers, and servers vulnerable to attack.
What now? Meltdown, which is easier to exploit and specific to Intel, is being fixed with software patches that will slow down devices. Spectre, meanwhile, may be harder to exploit, but can’t be patched and may force firms to redesign their chips.
Deep Dive
Computing
The future of open source is still very much in flux
Free and open software have transformed the tech industry. But we still have a lot to work out to make them healthy, equitable enterprises.
What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers
Scientists have begun running experiments on Frontier, the world’s first official exascale machine, while facilities worldwide build other machines to join the ranks.
The beautiful complexity of the US radio spectrum
The United States Frequency Allocation Chart shows how the nation’s precious radio frequencies are carefully shared.
How ubiquitous keyboard software puts hundreds of millions of Chinese users at risk
Third-party keyboard apps make typing in Chinese more efficient, but they can also be a privacy nightmare.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.