Intel: Spectre-proof CPUs will ship in second half of 2018

[RV_]

I just realized some folks may not have connected the dots that these two vulnerabilities actually cannot be fixed. To actually resolve the problem you have to replace the CPU, the Intel chipset that is in all Apple, Windows, and Linux systems. 

Do not buy any computer new or used until new after that date. And then be sure it is certified to have no Spectre vulnerabilities. I would imagine that there will be unprecedented fire sales that make them seem worthwhile, but let's be realistic. If you were going to upgrade to a new system just wait a bit more until the good ones are out to buy. If you weren't going to buy then make sure you backup your data and do not buy any system new or used unless it is a system with the new revised Intel chips. The current patches and workarounds take a significant performance hit on out systems. NO you weren't paranoid, your system is running slower. Until we get new computers later this year it is imperative that we keep up with our patches. Being a little bit slower beats losing all data or having our bank info compromised.

Excerpt:

" Now that Intel has shipped firmware updates for all the processors it has released over the last five years to patch the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities, Intel is now looking to the future.

If you're holding out on buying processors until Intel gets a hardware solution out for the Spectre CPU flaw that came to light earlier this year, then you won't have to wait beyond 2018.

Must read: Meltdown and Spectre - Is your PC vulnerable?

While Intel will continue to rely on software patches to protect against the Meltdown issue, the company has today announced that it has now "redesigned parts of the processor to introduce new levels of protection through partitioning" in order to protect against the Spectre variants of the bug.

"We have redesigned parts of the processor to introduce new levels of protection through partitioning that will protect against both Variants 2 and 3," wrote Intel CEO Brian Krzanich. "Think of this partitioning as additional "protective walls" between applications and user privilege levels to create an obstacle for bad actors."

The first processors to feature this protection will be Intel's next-generation Xeon Cascade Lake chips, along with the new 8th generation Intel Core processors slated to ship during the second half of this year.

Intel's software patches have given IT admins and PC owners alike a lot of headaches. The patches come with a fairly hefty performance hit for certain processor (even on Linux), and the patches have also been pretty buggy at times."

Much more in the article with more links here:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-spectre-proof-cpus-will-ship-in-second-half-of-2018/?ftag=CAD2e14604

[Pieere]

So this is the price we have to pay for technology! Kind of like the medical field with the expenses of Cancer and Alzheimers research! I 'll just wait until my computers crap out like my heart did about 6 years ago and then decide whether to purchase a new or refurbished one! Oh, my heart got refurbished with three metal stents, but the infarct damage done to the lower left ventricle is permanent, kind of like the Spectre Bug, huh??