spectre_and_meltdown_fixes_-_release_dates_for_linux_distros

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spectre_and_meltdown_fixes_-_release_dates_for_linux_distros [19.01.2018 17:51] – Pascal Suterspectre_and_meltdown_fixes_-_release_dates_for_linux_distros [24.01.2018 18:19] – [Spectre and Meltdown fixes] Pascal Suter
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 ====== Spectre and Meltdown fixes ====== ====== Spectre and Meltdown fixes ======
-This page should give you a short overview of what is currently available to update your Intel based server or Workstation to get as good as possible patched against Spectre (Variant 1 and 2) and Meltdown (Variant 3). +This page should give you a short overview of what is currently available to update your Intel based server or Workstation to get as good as possible patched against Spectre ( CVE 2017-5753 (Bounds Check Bypass / Variant 1) and CVE 2017-5715 (Branch Target Injection / Variant 2)) and Meltdown (CVE 2017-5754 (rogue data cache load / Variant 3)). 
  
 ===== What's needed? ===== ===== What's needed? =====
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 ===== Microcode Update - Yes it's necessary too! ===== ===== Microcode Update - Yes it's necessary too! =====
 +Update 22.1.2017: ** [[https://newsroom.intel.com/news/root-cause-of-reboot-issue-identified-updated-guidance-for-customers-and-partners/|has found the root cause for the latest reboot-issues and revokes all Microcode updates delivered between 01 and 20 January]]. This means, that you should NOT follow the bleow instructions to upgrade your microcode at the moment until intel releases the next version!**
  
 After you have installed the latest OS updates, your system should be protected against Variant 1 and 3, in order to protect against Variant 2, you also need to install a newer microcode (firmware of the CPU).  After you have installed the latest OS updates, your system should be protected against Variant 1 and 3, in order to protect against Variant 2, you also need to install a newer microcode (firmware of the CPU). 
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 So now you have two options: 1.) wait until a stable microcode update is available and stay vulnerable until then or 2.) install the currently available microcode update and risk having a less stable system. I have to mention, that intel says that only "some configurations" are affected without furhter specifying which configurations they are. I would therefore recommend. to simply try the new microcode and if it does indeed make your system unstable, revert to the currently used microcode.  So now you have two options: 1.) wait until a stable microcode update is available and stay vulnerable until then or 2.) install the currently available microcode update and risk having a less stable system. I have to mention, that intel says that only "some configurations" are affected without furhter specifying which configurations they are. I would therefore recommend. to simply try the new microcode and if it does indeed make your system unstable, revert to the currently used microcode. 
  
-Here is, how you can download the microcode package (for all intel processors) from Intel directly and then insert this into your Linux installation for Linux to load the latest microcode:  +Here is, how you can download the microcode package (for all intel processors) and then insert this into your Linux installation for Linux to load the latest microcode.  
-  - go to [[https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27431/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File?v=t|the intel download center]] and get the download link for the latest microcode package.   + 
-  - download it to your System: <code>+The latest officially released Microcodes can be found on the intel downloadcenter page. currently [[https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27431/Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-File?v=t|this download here]] is the latest. there should be a banner at the top linking to a newer version, once released. 
 + 
 +**NOTE: see update above: Intel discurages the use of these microcodes as it seems that they can cause your system to be unstable. Intel in fact changed their recommendations as of Jan. 22 from "ask your vendor to get the latest microcote" to "OMG, don't install the latest microcode!".** 
 + 
 +<del>It seems however, that this package does not include the latest microcodes as they where distributed by RedHat before they removed them from their repos. For example the microcode for the ''Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630 v4 @ 2.20GHz'' cpu is still at version ''21'' while the latest supplied by RedHat was ''25''. ''21'' does not yet have the patches for Variant 2. You can download a {{ :meltdown:intel-ucode_rh.tar.gz |copy of the intel-ucode from the removed RedHat Package here}}. </del> 
 + 
 +  - download the package of your choice to your System: <code>
 cd /root/  cd /root/ 
-wget <url copied from downloadcenter>+wget <url>
 </code> </code>
   - now move your existing microcode package to another location, so you can move it back in case you have these stability issues that some users had with the new ones. then unpack and load the new microcode: <code>   - now move your existing microcode package to another location, so you can move it back in case you have these stability issues that some users had with the new ones. then unpack and load the new microcode: <code>
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 you should now be up to date with the latest patches for all three Variants of the Spectre & Meltdown vulnerability.  you should now be up to date with the latest patches for all three Variants of the Spectre & Meltdown vulnerability. 
  
 +==== Understanding the release notes ====
 +Intel's releasenotes are somewhat cryptic. Here is how to read the following lines of the current release notes: <code>
 +-- Updates upon 20171117 release --
 +IVT C0 (06-3e-04:ed) 428->42a
 +SKL-U/Y D0 (06-4e-03:c0) ba->c2
 +BDW-U/Y E/F (06-3d-04:c0) 25->28
 +HSW-ULT Cx/Dx (06-45-01:72) 20->21
 +Crystalwell Cx (06-46-01:32) 17->18
 +BDW-H E/G (06-47-01:22) 17->1b
 +HSX-EX E0 (06-3f-04:80) 0f->10
 +SKL-H/S R0 (06-5e-03:36) ba->c2
 +HSW Cx/Dx (06-3c-03:32) 22->23
 +HSX C0 (06-3f-02:6f) 3a->3b
 +BDX-DE V0/V1 (06-56-02:10) 0f->14
 +BDX-DE V2 (06-56-03:10) 700000d->7000011
 +KBL-U/Y H0 (06-8e-09:c0) 62->80
 +KBL Y0 / CFL D0 (06-8e-0a:c0) 70->80
 +KBL-H/S B0 (06-9e-09:2a) 5e->80
 +CFL U0 (06-9e-0a:22) 70->80
 +CFL B0 (06-9e-0b:02) 72->80
 +SKX H0 (06-55-04:b7) 2000035->200003c
 +GLK B0 (06-7a-01:01) 1e->22
 +</code>
 +  * ''-- Updates upon 20171117 release --'' This means, that this package contains the following updates since the last release. so only the microcodes for the cpus mentioned here where updated, everything else is identical to the last release. 
 +  * ''SKL-U/Y D0 (06-4e-03:c0) ba->c2''
 +    * ''SKL'' stands for Sky-Lake
 +    * ''06-4e-03'' is actually the most useful part, it tells you what cpu that is in cpu-family, model and stepping. you can get this information from ''/proc/cpuinfo'' with this command: <code>
 +grep -P "^(cpu family)|(model\s*:)|(stepping)" /proc/cpuinfo | tail -3
 +</code>. ''06'' is the family, ''4e'' is the stepping in HEX format (use google or a scientific calculator to convert if you are lazy :)) and ''03'' is the stepping. 
 +    * the last part ''ba->c2'' is the relevant part of the version number that changed. For this specific Skylake CPU the Spectre Patch is supposed to be in releases ''0xc2'' or newer, so this one here contains the patch. Sadly the list with all these releases is under NDA, so i can't share it here. But in general you can expect everything that is released starting with the current package to have the fix in place. 
 +  * by the way, ''06-4e-03'' is also the filename of that microcode. 
 ===== Minimalistic Fix on CentOS 7.4 ===== ===== Minimalistic Fix on CentOS 7.4 =====
 Should you, for some reason, not be able or willing to run a full update, I have here a minimalistic fix for your centos:  Should you, for some reason, not be able or willing to run a full update, I have here a minimalistic fix for your centos: 
  • spectre_and_meltdown_fixes_-_release_dates_for_linux_distros.txt
  • Last modified: 24.10.2018 21:40
  • by Pascal Suter