News: 0001485503

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Intel Publishes Updated CPU Microcode For A Variety Of Security & Functional Issues

([Intel] 110 Minutes Ago Intel Microcode 20240813)


Intel published a number of new CPU microcode images this Patch Tuesday for addressing various security issues as well as a number of functional issues being addressed across different CPU client and server processor generations.

Intel CPU Microcode 20240813 is now available for Linux users in easily obtaining the latest microcode files. Notably today's CPU microcode updates do not contain the new [1]Intel Raptor Lake (Refresh) 0x129 CPU microcode for addressing the CPU stability problems affecting Intel Core 13th/14th Gen processors. So presumably only that new microcode can be loaded at boot time and not late-loaded by the operating system. Or it may be a case of release scheduling that the RPL 0x129 microcode didn't make the cut for today, but in any event it's worthwhile pointing out.

On the security front today's CPU microcode update does address a security vulnerability affecting recent generations of Intel Core and Xeon CPUs with their stream cache mechanisms, Intel Core Ultra stream cache issues, a Intel Xeon 3rd / 4th / 5th Gen Xeon issue allowing privilege escalation, a 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable vulnerability allowing denial of service, and an SMI Transfer Monitor advisory affecting many Intel CPUs.

On the "functional issues" side, today's CPU microcode updates address problems from the latest Intel Core Ultra processors all the way back to the 7th Gen Core processors.

Long story short, there is a lot of new Intel CPU microcode binaries out today for addressing various security and functionality issues for both Intel client and server processors going back generations. The updated microcode will work their way out to Linux users soon while those wanting the updates right away can find all the new binaries on [2]GitHub .



[1] https://www.phoronix.com/review/intel-raptor-lake-0x129

[2] https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-Files/releases/tag/microcode-20240813



phoronix

"Pseudocode can be used to some extent to aid the maintenance
process. However, pseudocode that is highly detailed -
approaching the level of detail of the code itself - is not of
much use as maintenance documentation. Such detailed
documentation has to be maintained almost as much as the code,
thus doubling the maintenance burden. Furthermore, since such
voluminous pseudocode is too distracting to be kept in the
listing itself, it must be kept in a separate folder. The
result: Since pseudocode - unlike real code - doesn't have to be
maintained, no one will maintain it. It will soon become out of
date and everyone will ignore it. (Once, I did an informal
survey of 42 shops that used pseudocode. Of those 42, 0 [zero!],
found that it had any value as maintenance documentation."
--Meilir Page-Jones, "The Practical Guide to Structured
Design", Yourdon Press (c) 1988