01-03-2018 08:20 AM - edited 03-10-2019 12:56 AM
Couldn't find a thread on Cisco's response to the soon to be announced (tomorrow) embargoed Intel x86 flaw. Nexus SUP1 modules for example run Intel Xeon chips. Can anyone share any insight on expected CPU performance degradation and security concerns as it relates to Intel x86 post-patch on network equipment?
01-04-2018 12:31 AM
Hi,
Doing some research yesterday, even though thousands of sites are reporting it, but there is no authentic resource yet (until yesterday), so it might be a hoax, I tried to find any reliable resource/reference online about this flaw, and could not find anything on Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, AMD, Intel ..etc., so far.
What made me doubt a bit that while reading the article from: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/01/02/intel_cpu_design_flaw/ … they mentioned Forcefully Unmap Complete Kernel With Interrupt Trampolines, aka **bleep**WIT … I cannot find any technical term online like that and the term seems strange :-)
Thanks and Best Regards,
Muhammad
01-04-2018 12:32 AM
01-04-2018 06:00 AM
There were a couple colorful acronyms floating around yesterday. Looks like ibm is coining the terms spectre and meltdown.
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/collection/c422fb7c4f08a679812cf1190db15441
Wiki page put up recently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meltdown_(security_vulnerability)
01-04-2018 06:03 AM
01-04-2018 06:40 AM
Thanks a lot, I opened a Cisco TAC to get a feedback from Cisco.
Microsoft has already released some software fixes:
This advisory addresses the following vulnerabilities:
Recommended Actions - Enterprise
Security Advisory 180002 has sections that provide specific guidance for Windows clients, Windows servers, and Microsoft Cloud platforms. Additional guidance provided in the security advisory includes answers to frequently asked questions, guidance for how to verify that protections are enabled.
Associated Support Articles and Additional Resources
Security Advisory 180002 - Guidance to protect against the speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/ADV180002
KB 4073119 - Windows Client Guidance for IT Pros to protect against the speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities: https://support.microsoft.com/help/4073119
KB 4072698 - Windows Server Guidance to protect against the speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities: https://support.microsoft.com/help/4072698
KB 4072699 - Important Information regarding the Windows Security Updates Released January 2018 (A/V): https://support.microsoft.com/help/4072699
KB 4073229 - Protect your device against the recent chip-related security vulnerability: https://support.microsoft.com/help/4073229
KB 4073225 - SQL Server Guidance to protect against the speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities: https://support.microsoft.com/help/4073225
KB 4073235 - Microsoft Cloud Protections Against Speculative Execution Side-Channel Vulnerabilities: https://support.microsoft.com/help/4073235
Azure blog - Securing Azure customers from CPU vulnerability: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/securing-azure-customers-from-cpu-vulnerability/
The Microsoft Security Update Guide: http://aka.ms/securityupdateguide
01-04-2018 07:29 AM
Thank You, threat is real !
Microsoft released an update and a fix.
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/ADV180002
I also opened a Cisco TAC and they replied to me acknowledging the threat, there is a bug CSCvh32210 for that, but not yet announced / made external.
Cisco is aware of recently published security research related to speculative execution in modern CPU architectures. Our team is following our well-established process to investigate all aspects of the issue and evaluate any potential impact on Cisco products. If something new is found that our customers need to be aware of and respond to, we will share it through our established PSIRT disclosure processes.
I can share the below information with you :
CVE-2017-5715 - Branch Target Injection AKA Spectre
CVE-2017-5753 - Bounds Check Bypass AKA Spectre
CVE-2017-5754 - Rogue Data Cache Load AKA Meltdown
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There is a bug filed for the same: CSCvh32210
This is yet to be externalized.
01-04-2018 11:29 PM
Hello All,
Cisco has just published the problem and classified it as a Medium Threat:
Title : |
CPU Side-Channel Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities |
URL : |
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Description : |
On January 3, 2018 researchers disclosed three vulnerabilities that take advantage of the implementation of speculative execution of instructions on many modern microprocessor architectures to perform side-channel information disclosure attacks. These vulnerabilities could allow an unprivileged local attacker, in specific circumstances, to read privileged memory belonging to other processes or memory allocated to the operating system kernel. |
Thanks and Best Regards,
Muhammad Al-Hussein
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