![]() ![]() ![]() This speculative execution is what allows both Meltdown and Spectre to access data they would otherwise not be able to get at, though they do it in different ways. This is still faster than waiting for the request to perform a calculation. And because they are so fast, if the data wasn't needed after all, it gets tossed aside. This means most of the time there is a normal workflow that will be followed and a CPU can skip ahead to have data ready when software asks for it. Part of optimizing software for better CPU performance is following a few rules and instructions. Speculative execution is when the CPU performs a calculation it wasn't yet asked to do based on previous calculations it was asked to perform. Meltdown and Spectre aren't exploiting a bug - they attack the way a processor computes data.īecause a CPU is faster than any software could be, it also does a bit of guessing. This is called out-of-order-execution and all modern CPUs work this way. Instead, the processor can move ahead to step three or step four and do them ahead of time. The processor doesn't do these tasks in the order they are received - that would mean some parts of the CPU are idle and waiting for other parts to finish, so step two could be done after step one is finished. The apps and services running on your phone all want the processor to do some work and are constantly giving it a list of things they need to be computed. Processes store data separately from other processes, so no other process knows where or when it gets written or read. Not the memory that is used to store data over the long term, but the memory used by hardware and software while everything is working in real time. ![]() Look at the phone in your hands it's vulnerable to some of these attacks.Ĭomputers (this includes phones and other tiny computers, too) rely on what's called memory isolation for security between applications. And since they aren't exploiting a bug and instead are using a process that's supposed to happen, there's no easy fix without a software update. The processor inside your phone determines how vulnerable it is to these types of exploits, but it's safer to assume that they all affect you if you're unsure. ![]()
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