'Kernel memory leaking' Intel processor design flaw forces Linux, Windows redesign

[M344587487]

Article:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/0...u_design_flaw/

Early benchmarks:
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...5-x86pti&num=1

[science_man_88]

Originally Posted by M344587487

Article:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/0...u_design_flaw/

Early benchmarks:
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...5-x86pti&num=1

They will have to markup the useful throughput of instructions by about 42% if I understand the 30% number correctly, just to break even.

[Mysticial]

Assume for now that ALL x86 CPUs are insecure

I wonder how much Intel paid them off to do that.

[kladner]

One has to wonder how it may affect P95. I have no idea about its kernel interactions.

[Dubslow]

Originally Posted by Mysticial

I wonder how much Intel paid them off to do that.

I'm with you, considering this a serious security flaw or bug is both hypocritical and contradictory, given the existence of the crapware installed by design on all modem x86 chips...

[Dubslow]

Originally Posted by kladner

One has to wonder how it may affect P95. I have no idea about its kernel interactions.

Approximately not at all. Prime95 does little in the way of system interrupts and calls, mostly just lots of userland FPU exercise. IO/networking code is more the affected realm -- something like an HTTP server, for example.

[kladner]

Thanks for the answer!

[M344587487]

Originally Posted by Mysticial

I wonder how much Intel paid them off to do that.

This reddit post has far too few upvotes for the number of comments it has, no consumer would downvote news like this so voting is being manipulated to try and downplay it. If it hasn't hit /r/all when america wakes up that all but confirms it. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist but 2400 upvotes is bugger all for such big news, this thinly veiled ad for whiskey has gotten 54,000 upvotes in the same timeframe.

[VictordeHolland]

How old is this 'leak'?
Since Pentium, C2D? or just the latest generations (Skylake/Kabylake?)

[M344587487]

From what people say it's likely that everything intel from 2006 to now is affected, basically if you're still using the hardware you're probably out of luck. More modern processors (haswell onwards) have something called PCID, which means they will cope better (aka slow down less) with the changes than sandy bridge and older.

This is just what I gather from reading articles and comments, some of which may be speculating on the worst case due to many of the details still being secret.

[GP2]

Originally Posted by M344587487

This reddit post has far too few upvotes for the number of comments it has, no consumer would downvote news like this so voting is being manipulated to try and downplay it.

Supposedly this will have the biggest impact on virtualization. Rumors say up to 30% performance hit for cloud machines.

If that's the case, and if the recent significant spot price hikes are sustained (i.e, aren't temporary and seasonal, but are permanent due to the new spot pricing model), then Mersenne crunching on the cloud will not be viable in 2018.