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Intel vulnerability on old motherboards

jcbb92
Level 7
If I understood correctly we need a BIOS update to fix Intel vulnerability against Spectre attack. KBs provided by Microsoft are not enough.

So if I'm right, is it possible ASUS tell us if they plan to provide a BIOS update version on old motherboard as P8Z77 serie (well, not so old).
If not, why ?

If I'm wrong, is there anybody knows how to fix this vulnerability ?
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3 REPLIES 3

Korth
Level 14
The KB's currently provided by Microsoft aren't enough.

They're just patches, quick temp hotfix/workaround stuff, meant to do whatever is needed to be done "right now" and "at any cost" to stop leaks. They're not a permanent solution, and they're not the permanent solution Microsoft is no doubt already trying to figure out. Microsoft's proper "fix" will eventually be available - when they're ready, not when they're bugged - and it will probably completely uninstall or overwrite these earlier KB patches.

You do have non-Microsoft options. Many "hardened" linux distros are theoretically vulnerable to these attacks but (for now) aren't as vulnerable in practice ... and the major kernels/distros will get fixed or patched or rebuilt or resecured about just as quick as Windows will be.

None of the OEMs supports "legacy" stuff like Z77 any more.
No more new software drivers, patches, fixes, updates. No more new firmware, BIOS, microcode updates. No more warranty or support.
Sometimes there's hacked/modded aftermarket or DIY stuff, and sometimes it's truly excellent, most times it's not.

Not to flippantly dismiss the gravely serious nature of these SPECTRE/MELTDOWN vulnerabilities - they are indeed serious!
But they genuinely won't affect most consumer machines anyhow ... How many VMs do you run? How many users are simultaneously logged onto your machine? The threat is real but the hype and embellishment and exaggeration about the threat is not.
To be honest, I'd be far more worried about personal data "leaking" around your bank's computers than on your home computers.
And, if security/paranoia is indeed a priority ... then you need to look past legacy hardware, lol, newer is not always better but older is sometimes obviously bad.
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[/Korth]

Korth wrote:
The KB's currently provided by Microsoft aren't enough.

They're just patches, quick temp hotfix/workaround stuff, meant to do whatever is needed to be done "right now" and "at any cost" to stop leaks. They're not a permanent solution, and they're not the permanent solution Microsoft is no doubt already trying to figure out. Microsoft's proper "fix" will eventually be available - when they're ready, not when they're bugged - and it will probably completely uninstall or overwrite these earlier KB patches.

You do have non-Microsoft options. Many "hardened" linux distros are theoretically vulnerable to these attacks but (for now) aren't as vulnerable in practice ... and the major kernels/distros will get fixed or patched or rebuilt or resecured about just as quick as Windows will be.

None of the OEMs supports "legacy" stuff like Z77 any more.
No more new software drivers, patches, fixes, updates. No more new firmware, BIOS, microcode updates. No more warranty or support.
Sometimes there's hacked/modded aftermarket or DIY stuff, and sometimes it's truly excellent, most times it's not.

Not to flippantly dismiss the gravely serious nature of these SPECTRE/MELTDOWN vulnerabilities - they are indeed serious!
But they genuinely won't affect most consumer machines anyhow ... How many VMs do you run? How many users are simultaneously logged onto your machine? The threat is real but the hype and embellishment and exaggeration about the threat is not.
To be honest, I'd be far more worried about personal data "leaking" around your bank's computers than on your home computers.
And, if security/paranoia is indeed a priority ... then you need to look past legacy hardware, lol, newer is not always better but older is sometimes obviously bad.


I didn't know how to convience my babe I need a brand new motherboard (and a new CPU and new RAMs)
I used to change these components every year so she was fed up with that. And she's right ! So I stopped to buy with this now old P8Z77. But it's hard to resist.
:D:D

Thanks ASUS to help me in this task !

So many people have similar kind of error which is Intel vulnerability on old motherboards. Happy to see the solution in this thread.