The Clock Is Ticking for Chip Flaw Fixes to Start Working
Cures for the pervasive Meltdown and Spectre chip flaws aren’t working, and hacks may soon be incoming.
Broken fixes: The Register reports that software patches for the flaws are causing some industrial hardware to become unstable. Intel has also warned that its fixes can cause some chips to reboot.
Hack threats: The longer we go without genuine fixes, the greater the chance that crooks will put the flaws to use. Some security researchers have already shown that they can weaponize the chip vulnerabilities. Hackers won't be far behind.
More to come? Even if we get the fixes we need, industry experts fear more Meltdown-like flaws. “There are probably other things out there like this that have been deemed safe for years," Simon Segars, CEO of chip firm ARM, told CNET.
Deep Dive
Computing
Inside the hunt for new physics at the world’s largest particle collider
The Large Hadron Collider hasn’t seen any new particles since the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. Here’s what researchers are trying to do about it.
How ASML took over the chipmaking chessboard
MIT Technology Review sat down with outgoing CTO Martin van den Brink to talk about the company’s rise to dominance and the life and death of Moore’s Law.
How Wi-Fi sensing became usable tech
After a decade of obscurity, the technology is being used to track people’s movements.
Algorithms are everywhere
Three new books warn against turning into the person the algorithm thinks you are.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.