Intel Spectre Patch Problems Add to Computer Owners’ Headaches

Intel, the primary world manufacturer of computer chips, has been accused of providing an ineffective patch to a huge security flaw discovered earlier this year. The Intel Spectre patch, some customers say, caused more trouble than it may have been worth.

Intel chips are built into just about every computerized device there is, including desktop computers, phones and other computerized systems. However, when security issues forced Intel to put out an Intel Spectre and Meltdown patch for these security flaws, many users experienced problems.

The initial security problem were called “Spectre” and “Meltdown.” This vulnerability allowed data to be stolen from applications that were running and was located in the CPU itself. Allegedly, because of these security problems, kernel memory (memory only for the operating system) was now accessible by applications. Because of this, Meltdown and Spectre could lift data from other programs that they were not supposed to have access to.

Antivirus programs do not see these vulnerabilities, so computer professionals have difficulty seeing the problems. This sensitive information could include passwords stored in a password manager, emails, instant messages, photos and other personal information.

In January 2018, Intel released the Meltdown and Intel Spectre patch to fix the security issues. But soon after the release of the Meltdown and Intel Spectre patch, users began reporting odd problems with their devices including repeated reboots without warning, the slowing down of the computer by up to 30 percent, and possible unexpected shutdowns.

Intel then announced that those using the patches should stop using them. Wired says, “The bigger issue so far, though, is that some patches have done more harm than good, requiring recalls and sowing general confusion.”

Intel’s announcement came just a couple weeks after the initial Intel Spectre patch. Intel asked users to “stop deployment of current versions [of the patch], as they may introduce higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behavior.”

Wired reports that the Spectre problem was especially nasty. Because of its widespread effects, it is difficult to create a one-size-fits all Intel Spectre patch to work on all devices.

The CEO of TrustedSec, a security corporation, David Kennedy, told Wired “We’ve never seen such an expansive bug like this that impacts literally every major processor. I was on at least 10 calls last week with big companies and two yesterday explaining what’s happening. They have no idea what to do when it comes to patching. It’s really causing a mess.”

Filing an Intel Spectre Patch Lawsuit

Some users and companies have filed Meltdown and Intel Spectre patch lawsuits claiming that they or their businesses suffered harm as a result of the faulty Intel Spectre patch.

The damages they suffered include allegations that they paid more for a product that did not work as it should, experiencing increased energy costs because of lower device performance, decreasing speed and performance of their devices and paying for replacements or upgrades to computers, components or processors.

If you or your business suffered damages because of the Meltdown or Intel Spectre patch, you may benefit from speaking to an experienced attorney.

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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