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Spectre and meltdown1/27/2024 ![]() ![]() Download the updated PowerShell module as noted in the instructions from the PowerShellGallery. Once you’ve installed the updates, download the updated PowerShell module that allows you to confirm you are protected. You may need to review various tech sites as to the tested performance hits after the patches have been installed. To enable these protections on Windows Server platforms, follow the guidance in KB4072698. To enable these protections (or disable them) on workstations, follow the guidance provided by Microsoft in KB4073119. Due to performance hits, Microsoft has enabled the protection on workstations by default, but left the decision up to you on server platforms. Then you will need to decide if you will enable protections. For systems with older processors that can’t receive protect, determine if these machines need to be processing any sensitive information. You may need to determine if Intel has released a firmware update for your CPU. Once again, the protections for MDS come from a combination of operating system and firmware updates. ![]() CVE-2018-12130: Microarchitectural Load Port Data Sampling (MLPDS).CVE-2018-12127: Microarchitectural Fill Buffer Data Sampling (MFBDS).CVE-2018-12126 : Microarchitectural Store Buffer Data Sampling (MSBDS).CVE-2018-11091: Microarchitectural Data Sampling Uncacheable Memory (MDSUM).The CVE numbers assigned to these vulnerabilities include: Attackers can exploit MDS to get around the security boundaries set by virtual machine hypervisors, OS kernels, and SGX enclaves. These vulnerabilities impact only Intel CPUs and allow attackers to eavesdrop on the information that the chip passes to other components. You must also have the necessary firmware from the OEM manufacturer.Īlso mitigated in the May updates is a new security vulnerability called microarchitectural data sampling (MDS). Windows patches alone won’t enable these new protections. Supported microcode/firmware updates are applied to the machine.To realize the benefits of Retpoline, admins can enable it on servers following this guidance. For server SKUs, Spectre variant 2 mitigation is disabled by default.For client SKUs, Spectre variant 2 mitigation is enabled by default.Spectre, variant 2 ( CVE-2017-5715) mitigation is enabled.As Microsoft notes, if the following conditions are met, then the new, less impactful performance patching is enabled: Intel came up with a new methodology called “ Retpoline.” The mitigation technique “is resistant to exploitation and has attractive performance properties compared to other mitigations.” In the (and later) updates for Windand Server 2019 (and newer), Retpoline is enabled by default on supported devices. Microsoft enabled the protections by default on workstations, but not on server platforms. Patches were rolled out along with bios updates from the manufacturer, but they came with a costly side effect: They degraded performance, especially on systems with older CPUs. They allow a rogue process to read memory without authorization. The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities discovered in January 2018 showed that weaknesses in CPUs were a potential attack vector.
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