Intel Spectre and Meltdown Vulnerability Allow Hackers Access, But Patch Slows Speeds

Are you a resident of Washington state who has a computer or smart phone affected by Intel’s Spectre or Meltdown vulnerability? If so, you could qualify to participate in this investigation into devices in Washington that have been affected by the flaws.

In January, Intel announced critical security flaws had been included in Intel chips since 1995. The flaws, known as “Meltdown” and “Spectre,” allow hackers to access and steal data from the memory that’s ordinarily supposed to be protected. The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerability is seen in computers, smart phones and cloud systems.

After news of the hacker vulnerability broke, Intel issued patches to cover the hole that allowed hackers to enter. Once the patch was applied, many customers say their computer systems slowed by 30 percent.

Intel allegedly had known of at least one of the security flaws since June 2017, when researchers from Google’s Project Zero brought it to Intel’s attention.

According to at least one lawsuit, Intel kept the problem hidden until Jan. 3, 2018, when the media broke news that the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerability could enable malicious software to access supposedly protected areas of a computer central processing unit (CPU).

More than 30 lawsuits have been filed against Intel by everyone from consumers to businesses to investors who claim they purchased electronic merchandise that boasted Intel processors because of the advertised speed, which ultimately was compromised by the needed patch.

Without that patch, Washington state consumers running smart phones and computers with Intel processors could see their passwords stolen in real time by hackers taking advantage of the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerability. Consumers’ only other choice would be to purchase new computers or smart phones.

Spectre and Meltdown Vulnerability Allegedly Hidden

At least one Intel lawsuit alleges the company did a lackluster job creating the CPUs, which led to the creation of Spectre and Meltdown vulnerability.

“But rather than inform consumers about this major security flaw, Intel continued to sell CPUs at a price much higher than consumers would have paid for them had they known about the flaw,” said plaintiff Joshua Nathan in a proposed class action lawsuit in Illinois filed earlier this year.

“Further, Intel sold the CPUs to consumers touting the processors’ fast speeds, while the very shortcuts that Intel took to develop its ‘speedy’ processors necessitated a patch that would ultimately slow down processor speeds.”

Another aspect of the case focuses on the behavior of Intel executives, including CEO Brian M. Krzanich. Nathan’s proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Krzanich and fellow executives hid the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerability issues to protect Intel’s stock from taking a dive.

Allegedly, Krzanich quietly sold half his Intel shares, which were worth millions of dollars, after he learned of the problems, but before the vulnerabilities were made public. Yet between July 2017 and January 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission public filings made by Intel did not mention the Spectre or Meltdown vulnerability, alleges Nathan’s lawsuit.

If you are a Washington resident who has had information compromised by the Spectre or Meltdown vulnerability or has experienced slowed processing speeds after installing a patch, you could be eligible to participate in this investigation.

The Meltdown Vulnerability Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-02754, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Join a Free Intel Meltdown and Spectre Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your company were negatively affected by the Intel Meltdown and Spectre defects, including suffering damages caused by installing the Intel software patch, you may have a legal claim.

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