New CacheOut Speculative Execution Vulnerability Hits Intel Processors

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 01/28/2020 04:34 PM | source: | 75 comment(s)

Intel is not spared when it comes to the number of vulnerabilities that keep hitting their processors. The latest one is CacheOut, a new speculative execution attack that is capable of leaking data from Intel CPUs across many security boundaries. All processors up-to-the recent Coffee lake refresh are effected.

Despite Intel's attempts to address previous generations of speculative execution attacks, CPUs are still vulnerable, allowing attackers to exploit these vulnerabilities to leak sensitive data. Unlike previous MDS issues, the researchers show in their work how an attacker can exploit the CPU's caching mechanisms to select what data to leak, as opposed to waiting for the data to be available.

They then demonstrate that CacheOut can violate nearly every hardware-based security domain, leaking data from the OS kernel, co-resident virtual machines, and even SGX enclaves. CacheOut can bypass software fixes. Making it possible to extract data from both the kernel of the OS and from virtual machines, and also from something that Intel calls 'software guard extensions' (SGX) that normally is stored securely.

Researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Adelaide have found this new bug, and posted a paper on it. Read the paper. It seems that once again only Intel processors are affected including Core, Xeon and Atom models. AMD is save from this vulnerability.

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-:[CC]:-
Junior Member

Posts: 4
Joined: 2007-04-09

#5755124 Posted on: 01/28/2020 06:55 PM

The following specifically states that physical admin access(authenticated local access) is required;
https://blogs.intel.com/technology/2020/01/ipas-intel-sa-00329/
An attack to exploit this vulnerability can not be rendered remotely, IE through a network share or web browser.

I can do alot with all cpus/systems if i have physical admin access(authenticated local access) U better patch me

Gomez Addams
Senior Member

Posts: 197
Joined: 2019-04-15

#5755130 Posted on: 01/28/2020 06:59 PM

I think all of this stuff about speculative execution vulnerabilities is much ado about nothing. The most important thing to remember is the attacker must install and run the malicious software on the target machine. If that is prohibited then nothing will happen at all.

Here's my conspiracy theory about these things : after the "sky is falling" announcements, what did people do? Most immediately installed updates on their machines. I think those updates were actually installing backdoors so the NSA and other governmental TLA's can monitor your activities. I have not and will not install any "updates" for this because I consider it to be a non-issue. Especially if you don't allow malicious software to run in the first place. Start there and the rest will take care of itself.

warlord
Senior Member

Posts: 2761
Joined: 2012-10-22

#5755135 Posted on: 01/28/2020 07:06 PM

Enthusiasts and blackmarket paid IT wannabes still bragging about Intel cpus for epeen. Intel® needs severe punishment for the last decade of deception, laziness and zero innovation. In AMD we trust!

Fox2232
Senior Member

Posts: 11809
Joined: 2012-07-20

#5755181 Posted on: 01/28/2020 08:47 PM

Unfortunately, disabling Intel Hyper-Threading does not cover the case where the attacker and the victim run on the same CPU thread.

Well, threads are not processes. While browser may have one or more PIDs, there may be dozens to hundreds threads hiding underneath.
But still, this is kind of bad as there are going to be scenarios where even disabling HT won't result in full protection.

squalles
Senior Member

Posts: 865
Joined: 2003-06-10

#5755190 Posted on: 01/28/2020 09:30 PM

im scaried now, any hacker can stolen my save game on witcher 3

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