911: a threat to SB-PE and your computer?

[Wax Savage]

I am writing to warn everyone that there are two computer security vulnerabilities discovered within the last 30 days that may affect your computer speed.

 

The security vulnerabilities have been named MELTDOWN and SPECTRE. All the Windows and MAC operating systems are affected. The current band-aid fix for WINDOWS is Microsoft Windows updates. The problem to us gamers is the update(s) are appreciably slowing down the processing speed of computers with INTEL processor equipped operating systems. Conservatively, the feeling is that the ‘fix’ will slow down your computer from 5% to 30%.

 

I have one of the worst affected. I have a 6 year old Alienware desktop with a Windows 7 operating system. I performed a Windows update about 10 days ago. In the last week, my computer has been running slower, the programs seem more ‘glitchy’, even freezing up. Researching what might be wrong, I discovered the info about MELTDOWN and SPECTRE. The internet sites were warning the fix being sent out by Microsoft had a side effect of slowing computers. I uninstalled the update. This returned my Windows 7 back to its normal performance. The offending update file in my computer was KB4056894. FYI, there are different Microsoft updates depending on your system. Windows, 10, 8 etc have a different update file number than Windows 7.

 

If your computer has slowed down at all recently, download and run the IN_SPECTRE.EXE file to see if you have any performance hit from any windows updates since 1-1-2018.  Here is the location to get the file,..

 

https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm

 

Here is an article that points out what update files affect what operating system,..

 

https://blog.barkly.com/meltdown-spectre-patches-list-windows-update-help

Edited February 12, 2018 by Wax Savage
better readability

[Rotareneg]

You're a month late:

 

 

[Wax Savage]

Hi Rotareneg,

 

thanks for your input. Good to know someone else on the forum saw the news release.

Like you, I read that Windows 10 users would experience less of a performance slowdown than Windows 7 and 8 users.

For me, the recently released 'fix' was a half-measure at best. I uninstalled Microsoft's alleged 'fix' because it was slowing my Windows 7 computer and causing glitches (not unlike a computer virus).

 

My decision was to delete the 'update' and regain computing speed.

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Wax Savage

[wildbillkelsoe]

AMD also affected? I'm 8150(2011).

[Rotareneg]

Virtually all CPUs since around 1995 are vulnerable to the Spectre V1 and V2 exploits. The Meltdown exploit is an Intel issue (and I think one ARM cpu.)

[Ssnake]

This is mostly a threat to co-hosted web servers with sensitive information. It isn't very easy to pull off these hacks in the first place, certainly not something that you can fall victim to (as far as I know) in some surf-by javascript attack.

[wildbillkelsoe]

thanks Rotareneg and Nils.