Have the curse of vulnerabilities been resolved on Intel processors? We faced a vulnerability last year, and now Intel is facing an even more dangerous vulnerability called “Foreshadow,” which allows attackers to take control of all your data and steal it! Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep our information safe from prying eyes and hands as time goes by. Unfortunately, the same parts designed to be the “brains” of our devices also work to make our systems less secure. In this post, we will learn about this new vulnerability and the possibility of addressing this issue.
What is the “Foreshadow” vulnerability?
Researchers from five different academic institutions discovered this vulnerability. Intel processors are supposed to be secure, defended by Software Guard Extensions (SGX) that allow programs to set up secure enclaves on the processors. Through 3 side-channel vulnerabilities, the “Foreshadow” attack is executed directly on Intel processors, causing a breach in the wall leading to flowing data. These researchers explain that this vulnerability is an execution attack on Intel processors that allows attackers to steal sensitive information stored within personal computers. Foreshadow attacks may allow any infiltrator or malicious application to access sensitive data stored in computer memory or external clouds, including files, encryption keys, images, or passwords. A report suggests that the research raises old questions and concerns about relying on SGX technology for protection – whether all its benefits also have negative aspects that make it a weakness for the most sensitive software and data among everyone. One researcher emphasized the severity of the “Foreshadow” vulnerability, stating that it is not an attack on a specific user but an attack on the infrastructure.
Read also: A new official tool to update Intel drivers on your device with a click
How can we solve this problem?
Intel has started rolling out the corrective update for this vulnerability on August 14, just a few days before writing this article. Therefore, Intel encourages all users to update their systems to patch the vulnerability and take all necessary precautions to prevent malware. You can also download software from “iobit” like “Advanced SystemCare,” which is no more than 30 megabytes in size and works directly on speeding up your computer and patching security vulnerabilities (the update to patch the vulnerability may take some time and depends on your internet speed, so you need to be patient while it finishes downloading and automatically installing).
Of course, this vulnerability was discovered by researchers, but the matter is not over yet, and many disastrous results can be accessed, perhaps in the near future, it may be worse than what the researchers currently believe. Therefore, the sense of security has not yet arrived after this deluge of serious security vulnerabilities that can destroy our work! It is currently advisable to follow Intel’s advice to keep your system updated continuously as they work on offering many solutions to avoid such problems later on. You can share your opinion about Intel and whether you will continue to support it and its policies or move to support another alternative and competitive company, and discuss the latest developments and serious security vulnerabilities in the comments below this post. Finally, you can test the protection of your device to see if it has been breached or not.
