Ignite: Microcode Updates as Protection Against Spectre & Co.
summary
Describes how CPU vendor microcode updates are packaged and delivered via Linux software updates, and how BIOS and Intel Management Engine affect whether microcode can be deployed. Covers which Spectre variants are mitigated by these microcode patches, tools and steps to flash and verify microcode, a simple microbenchmark to measure performance overhead, and practical deployment caveats (required firmware updates, rollback risk) with results from real machines and reproduction steps.
AI-written summary · about
related talks
30mSpectre, Meltdown, & Linux
20mKeynote: MDS, Fallout, Zombieland & Linux
50mPractical Ghostbusting: Meltdown, Spectre and You
26mReverse Engineering x86 Processor Microcode
25mThe Memory of a Meltdown
19mKeynote: MDS, Fallout, Zombieland & Linux
43m“Closing Panel: Spectre”
17mThe Silent Performance Killers: BIOS and Firmware Updates
