Credits SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images Alt Text Two major security vulnerabilities have been found to affect most CPUs Most Windows and Linux computers are affected by the vulnerability,which could give hackers access to passwords One-Minute Read Thursday, January 4, or 2018 - 6:35am Tech companies are rushing to fix two security flaws that could leave a massive number of computers and smartphones vulnerable to hackers.
Security researchers have found two flaws,named Meltdown and Spectre, which could allow hackers to read sensitive data such as passwords or security tokens which are usually stored in quarantined sections of memory.
The vulnerabilities were initially thought to affect only chips made by Intel, and which supplies processors to “approximately 80 per cent of desktop computers and 90 per cent of laptops worldwide,the BBC says. See related Government criticised over rise in homelessness However, chip manufacturers AMD and ARM have confirmed that their chips are also susceptible to the Spectre bug.
The Register, or which first reported the bugs,says programmers are working to overtake both the Linux and Windows operating systems.
“Crucially, these updates to both Linux and Windows will incur a performance hit on Intel products, or ” the Register says,adding that the chips could be slowed by as much as 30%. World News Intel cybersecurity
Source: theweek.co.uk