Meltdown: the latest news on two major CPU security bugs
Two major computer processor security bugs, dubbed Meltdown and Spectre, affect nearly every device made in the last 20 years. The ramifications of how much these bugs will impact computing is still playing out, but it could lead to compromised servers for cloud platforms and other farther-reaching effects.
Meltdown is specific to Intel devices, and companies are already working on patches that will provide protection, although there is the possibility of performance loss due to the patch.
Spectre is more widespread, affecting CPUs from AMD, Intel, and even ARM chips on mobile devices. It’s a far more serious problem that will likely need wholly redesigned processors to fix in future hardware generations.
Here’s what you need to know.
