Alert.png The wiki is deprecated and due to be decommissioned by the end of September 2022.
The content is being migrated to other supports, new updates will be ignored and lost.
If needed you can get in touch with EGI SDIS team using operations @ egi.eu.

Difference between revisions of "SVG:Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities"

From EGIWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 53: Line 53:
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news-releases/intel-issues-updates-protect-systems-security-exploits/ Jan 4th]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news-releases/intel-issues-updates-protect-systems-security-exploits/ Jan 4th]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-offers-security-issue-update/ Microcode released (Jan 9th)]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-offers-security-issue-update/ Microcode released (Jan 9th)]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/editorials/intel-security-issue-update-initial-performance-data-results-client-systems/ performance impact analysis (Jan 10th)
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/editorials/intel-security-issue-update-initial-performance-data-results-client-systems/ performance impact analysis (Jan 10th)]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-security-issue-update-addressing-reboot-issues/ Microcode unstability reported (Jan 11th)]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-security-issue-update-addressing-reboot-issues/ Microcode unstability reported (Jan 11th)]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news/firmware-updates-and-initial-performance-data-for-data-center-systems/ Jan 17th]
* [https://newsroom.intel.com/news/firmware-updates-and-initial-performance-data-for-data-center-systems/ Jan 17th]

Revision as of 09:49, 2 February 2018

Main page Software Security Checklist Issue Handling Advisories Notes On Risk Advisory Template More

Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities


Purpose of this page

To provide more detailed information about the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities, to complement the advisory, SVG:Advisory-SVG-CVE-2017-5753.

We are continuing to add new information when we become aware of it, and the situation continues to change (02nd February 2018).

What are they?

These are vulnerabilities in the design of the chip hardware, and cannot be fully resolved by patching operating systems. However patches are available which mitigate these problems.

  • Meltdown (CVE-2017-5754) affects most Intel chips.
  • Spectre (CVE-2017-5753 and CVE-2017-5715) affects a wide range of chips.

For more details, see https://meltdownattack.com/ , https://spectreattack.com/ and https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.dk/2018/01/reading-privileged-memory-with-side.html

How to mitigate these vulnerabilities

Each CVE can be mitigated via different ways:

  • Meltdown (CVE-2017-5754) can be mitigated via Kernel Page Table Isolation, which is enabled by default in latest linux kernels
  • Spectre Variant 1 (CVE-2017-5753) has to be mitigated in each software which can be vulnerable. The latest linux kernel contains fixes to protect itself (does not protect other software).
  • Spectre Variant 2 (CVE-2017-5715) can be (at least partially) mitigated via at least two different approach:
    • Using new Intel-specific MSR, added via a microcode update, to control indirect branch restricted speculation (IBRS): Both a kernel and a microcode update are required. In addition, in case of virtualization, an update of the virtualization software (e.g. qemu & virt) is required to expose the new MSR to the VM.
    • Using "retpoline", a new software construct that can mitigate, on most CPUs, the vulnerability

RedHat

As of Feb 2nd 2018, RedHat has offered new kernel updates that can mitigate Meltdown (CVE-2017-5754), Spectre Variant 1 (CVE-2017-5753) and Spectre Variant 2 (CVE-2017-5715).

However, due to instability issues, it has removed the microcode updates required for Spectre Variant 2 (CVE-2017-5715)

It is currently possible to mitigate Meltdown (CVE-2017-5754) and Spectre Variant 1 (CVE-2017-5753) by:

  • On RHEL7: Updating the kernel to 3.10.0-693.11.6.el7, see RHSA-2018:0007
  • On RHEL6: Updating the kernel to 2.6.32-696.18.7.el6, see RHSA-2018:0008


More Information

CERN

CERN has compiled information which is useful for many EGI sites:

https://security.web.cern.ch/security/advisories/spectre-meltdown/spectre-meltdown.shtml

Intel

Intel has initially, on January 8th, released new microcodes to complement the IBRS kernel patchset. However, these new microcodes are in fact unstable and Intel has since then recommended to stop deploying them.

Intel latest recommendation can be found in their advisory, INTEL-SA-00088

More updates and information:

RedHat

Important! [as of 17th January]

RedHat has issued new microcode_ctl packages to rollback the latest updates, see RHSA-2018:0093.


RedHat description:

RedHat CVE info:

CentOS

Important! [as of 17th January]

Centos seems to be following Redhat in the revert of the microcode_ctl package, see the disclaimer in the sources of the last package: 

This update supersedes microcode provided  by Red Hat with the CVE-2017-5715 (“Spectre”)
CPU branch injection vulnerability mitigation.  (HIstorically, Red Hat has provided updated
microcode, developed by our microprocessor partners, as a customer convenience.)  Further
testing has uncovered problems with the microcode provided along with the “Spectre” mitigation
that could lead to system instabilities.  As a result, Red Hat is providing an microcode update
that reverts to the last known good microcode version dated before 03 January 2018.
Red Hat strongly recommends that customers contact their hardware provider for the latest microcode updates.

IMPORTANT: Customers using Intel Skylake-, Broadwell-, and Haswell-based platforms must obtain and
install updated microcode from their hardware vendor immediately. The "Spectre" mitigation requires
both an updated kernel from Red Hat and updated microcode from your hardware vendor.


CentOS 7:

CentOS 6:

See further in the centos-announce Security mails for January https://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-announce/2018-January/date.html

Scientific Linux

Important! [as of 18th January]

Scientific Linux is following RedHat in the revert of the microcode_ctl package, see https://www.scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180093-1/: 

This update supersedes the previous microcode update provided with the
CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre) CPU branch injection vulnerability mitigation.
Further testing has uncovered problems with the microcode provided along
with the Spectre mitigation that could lead to system instabilities.

As a result, this microcode update reverts to the last known good
microcode version dated before 03 January 2018.

You should contact your hardware provider for the latest microcode updates.

IMPORTANT: If you are using Intel Skylake-, Broadwell-, and Haswell-based
platforms, obtain and install updated microcode from your hardware
vendor immediately. The "Spectre" mitigation requires both an updated
kernel and updated microcode from your hardware vendor.

SL6:

https://www.scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180008-1/

SL7:

https://www.scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180007-1/


qemu-kvn:

SL6:

qemu-kvm: http://scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180024-1/

libvirt: http://scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180030-1/

SL7:

qemu-kvm: http://scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180023-1/

libvirt: http://scientificlinux.org/category/sl-errata/slsa-20180029-1/

Ubuntu

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SecurityTeam/KnowledgeBase/SpectreAndMeltdown

Supermicro

https://www.supermicro.com/support/security_Intel-SA-00088.cfm

Dell

Important! [as of 23rd January]

Dell is advising that all customers and partners should not deploy the BIOS update for the Spectre vulnerability at this time due to Intel’s advisory acknowledging reboot issues and unpredictable system behaviour.

http://www.dell.com/support/contents/uk/en/ukbsdt1/article/product-support/self-support-knowledgebase/software-and-downloads/support-for-meltdown-and-spectre


https://www.dell.com/support/article/uk/en/ukbsdt1/sln308588/microprocessor-side-channel-vulnerabilities-cve-2017-5715-cve-2017-5753-cve-2017-5754-impact-on-dell-emc-products-dell-enterprise-servers-storage-and-networking-?lang=en

Note this is changing rather frequently

HPE

[as of January 23]

HPE has updated their advisory to note that "Marked impacted products with TBD for System ROM updates per Intel's guidance on microcode issues" - so following suit with DELL.

https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?sp4ts.oid=null&docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03805en_us

Lenovo

[as of January 23]

Lenovo security advisory

https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/solutions/len-18282

Xen

QEMU-KVM

In order to protect hypervisors from malicious VMs, the kernel, microcode and QEMU must be updated:

https://www.qemu.org/2018/01/04/spectre/

Retrieved from "https://wiki.egi.eu/w/index.php?title=SVG:Meltdown_and_Spectre_Vulnerabilities&oldid=98450"