PC World: Windows Meltdown patches halted for some AMD systems after PCs refuse to boot. “AMD processors aren’t affected by the devastating Meltdown CPU flaw, but the emergency fix for Meltdown and Spectre can apparently bring certain AMD CPUs to their knees. Microsoft has stopped offering the Windows security patch to some AMD systems after reports of PCs not booting.”
BetaNews: Warning: Microsoft’s Meltdown and Spectre patch is bricking some AMD PCs. “As if the Meltdown and Spectre bug affecting millions of processors was not bad enough, the patches designed to mitigate the problems are introducing issues of their own. Perhaps the most well-known effect is a much-publicized performance hit, but some users are reporting that Microsoft’s emergency patch is bricking their computers.”
The Verge: Microsoft issues emergency Windows update for processor security bugs. “Microsoft is issuing a rare out-of-band security update to supported versions of Windows today. The software update is part of a number of fixes that will protect against a newly-discovered processor bug in Intel, AMD, and ARM chipsets. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company will issue a Windows update that will be automatically applied to Windows 10 machines at 5PM ET / 2PM PT today.”
The Next Web: Security flaw found in Intel chips may also affect AMD and ARM processors. “Originally spotted by The Register, the kernel vulnerability leaves the chips vulnerable to hackers who can exploit security bugs. While there is a fix in the works, The Register reports the patch could slow down computers by up to 30 percent. The flaw could potentially allow malicious programs to read login and password information on secure parts of the computer’s memory. But most unluckily, it might not be limited to the millions of Intel chip-based computers.”
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