Intel and Its Partners Continued to Release Stable Updates against Spectre. Stay Tuned!

The security vulnerabilities in chips - Meltdown and Spectre allow attackers to access kernel memory data through side-channel attacks. To mitigate the threat, both system software (operating system) and firmware (BIOS, microcode) updates are required. Per Intel's announcement on Feb.20, new production microcode updates are available to its OEM customers and partners for the 6th, 7th and 8th Generation product lines as well as its latest X-series processor family, and Xeon Scalable and Xeon D processors for data center systems.

The OEM partners then updated the patches on their own sites at the first time. Here is a collective updates entry for the mainstream companies.

Dell: Dell has started deploying new BIOS updates for affected client platforms. Users can go to the Dell PCs and Thin Client support page to check and download updates if available. Check Dell updates >>

Acer: Due to the previous problem patches from Intel, Acer has delayed the release of updates for these impacted models. But users can still keep an eye on its releases. Check Acer updates >>

Fujitsu: Only currently supported products will be patched with the latest updates. The older systems that are no longer supported will not be patched. Check Fujitsu updates >>

Asus: Updated ASUS motherboards that support 6th, 7th or 8th Generation Intel Core™ processors or Intel Core X-series processors for X99 and X299 platforms. Check Asus updates >>

Toshiba: Published the downloadable packages of the updates, and release schedules are also available for regularly checking. Check Toshiba updates >>

Panasonic: Based on this company's announcement, only the customers who installed its application into the PC or smart phone that may be affected depending on the customer's environment. 

MSI: All of its Notebook, Vortex and VR One units that used Intel 2th to the 8th generation Core Processor should keep an eye on its FAQ page to have the latest news. Check MSI updates >> 

AMD: Spectre (both Variant 1 and Variant 2) is applicable to AMD processors. It is working with other tech companies and will provide further updates as appropriate on its site. 

Gigabyte: The newly released BIOS updates from GIGABYTE which integrate the latest Intel advised CPU Microcode versions are safe. Users can also check if their motherboards are affected.  Check if affected  >>

Huawei: It has delivered Security Advisory (SA) for these vulnerabilities. Check Huawei updates >>

While waiting for the up-to-date patches for a particular product, the manufacturers also recommend users to follow these tips for security:

1. Keep the anti-virus programs up-to-date and always running;

2. Keep all browsers up-to-date, and visit reputable sites only;

3. Never install unknown programs.

Users should stay tuned to Intel and its partners' latest news about mitigation updates. Once updates become available, make sure to download and install on computers ASAP.