Intel has requested users stop installing its own Spectre/Malware patch after confirming the fix was causing people’s computers to shut down.
The firm says the patches, which began rolling out recently, were also resulting in unpredictable system behaviour.
In a blog post on Monday, the company advised PC and Mac users skip the update, promising a better version is coming soon.
The firm’s executive Vice President Neil Shenov wrote: “We recommend that OEMs, cloud service providers, system manufacturers, software vendors and end users stop deployment of current versions, as they may introduce higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behaviour.”
Related: Meltdown and Spectre explained
The company says it has identified the problems behind the bug, which potentially leaves the Broadwell, Haswell, Coffee Lake, Kaby Lake, Skylake, and Ivy Bridge chip generations open to intrusion.
The firm now working on a patch that plugs the security hole, without causing users’ PCs to randomly shut down.
Intel’s bad patch
Spectre and Meltdown expose an intrinsic flaw in the chip design that can enable a machine’s kernel memory data to be compromised. That means unencrypted material like login credentials and credit card information can be stolen.
You can see the exploit demonstrated in the Twitter video below:
Using #Meltdown to steal passwords in real time #intelbug #kaiser #kpti /cc @mlqxyz @lavados @StefanMangard @yuvalyarom https://t.co/gX4CxfL1Ax pic.twitter.com/JbEvQSQraP
— Michael Schwarz (@misc0110) January 4, 2018
The remarkable admission follows general displeasure over a performance slowdown as a result of the patches for the dangerous chip vulnerability.
It also comes after Microsoft was forced to withdraw AMD’s patch for the Spectre bug after causing users similar problems.
Data recovery specialists Gideon Research has developed an app that can help users discover whether their computer’s are vulnerable to the security flaws.
Are you concerned about Spectre and Meltdown bugs? Has it shaken your trust in chip manufacturers? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
