SPECTRE and MELTDOWN: Bug rocks Intel / ARM CPUs

[segfaulted]

Kinda glad I bought AMD this round. For those who don't know there is a new bug affecting just about every SKU from Intel made in the last .. ohh.. _DECADE_ or so. It's actually worse then F00F or FDIV. Only mitigation appears to castrate the CPU upward of 30%! (depending on processes).

Can Asus confirm AMD and more importantly for me, this or any AMD motherboard are not affected? If so, will there be RMAs?

Fun fact, Intel's CEO dumped stock back in November before they started issuing gags on people from even talking about it.

*****ASUS advisory page(may get updated): https://www.asus.com/News/V5urzYAT6myCC1o2 ******

[mlippold]

impertinent wrote:
I patched the old 3801 bios and updated the microcode for Haswell-E. Follow these instructions or keep on waiting.

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?99372-Rampage-V-Extreme-Instructions-for-updating-the-BIOS...

So yeah... damn Asus. :rolleyes:

Could I ask... when you did this did you do anything other than copy the file from the linux microcode archive into the UBU folder? Like rename it etc..? When I tried copying the 06-3c-03 (which corresponds with my CPU) into the UBU folder and running it and hitting "m" like the instructions indicate it just wouldn't find that microcode. I could still do the normal microcode update with UBU but that isn't in keeping with the instructions which is why I ask.

[impertinent]

Well I copied it to the UBU folder but the script didn't select the file but opened a window and I had to chose the microcode file myself. Did you use cmd or powershell? Maybe this is also a diffrence.

[mlippold]

impertinent wrote:
Well I copied it to the UBU folder but the script didn't select the file but opened a window and I had to chose the microcode file myself. Did you use cmd or powershell? Maybe this is also a diffrence.

OH interesting. I was using an elevated command prompt. I'll try Powershell tomorrow that is probably what is going on.

[Nixon2992]

New variation Spectre :BranchScope
https://www.securityweek.com/intel-cpus-vulnerable-new-branchscope-attack
http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~nael/pubs/asplos18.pdf

[IT_Troll]

I wonder how many more variations will be discovered before ASUS get BIOS upates out for the first one. :rolleyes:

[impertinent]

Face up the facts. ASUS support is basically the worst you can expect from from a hardware producer... or worse. I'm curious how long they survive such a behavior or actually they totally rely on kiddies buying RGB stuff.

[Retired]

Bios for Z170 Pro Gaming is out.

[ferrugia]

Scoty44 wrote:
Bios for Z170 Pro Gaming is out.

I wonder if this version even addresses the speculative execution vulnerabilities. If you look at the release notes for that BIOS it only says "Improve system stability". Could they have used a more generic or useless description? Another example of bad communication by Asus.

[ferrugia]

ferrugia wrote:
I wonder if this version even addresses the speculative execution vulnerabilities. If you look at the release notes for that BIOS it only says "Improve system stability". Could they have used a more generic or useless description? Another example of bad communication by Asus.

To the OP that I replied to above, it appears that your guess about the Z170 update was probably correct because I see there's a similar update for the Z270 now. They both say "Improve system stability" and I don't see a .txt file in the .zip or anywhere that gives more specific information. I was wondering which variants of the attack this provides protection against but I guess I can just test after applying the updated BIOS.

[Antonis000]

ferrugia wrote:
To the OP that I replied to above, it appears that your guess about the Z170 update was probably correct because I see there's a similar update for the Z270 now. They both say "Improve system stability" and I don't see a .txt file in the .zip or anywhere that gives more specific information. I was wondering which variants of the attack this provides protection against but I guess I can just test after applying the updated BIOS.

I don't see any new Bios for Z270F Gaming as of today

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/ROG-STRIX-Z270F-GAMING/HelpDesk_BIOS/

It still has the older 1203 bios issued in back in January.

And here is a new list of bioses only for the server editions expected to be released after April 9th

https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1035538