2024-08-13 09:55:05
A vulnerability in AMD processors allows hackers to access computers. What’s particularly critical is that the gap has existed since 2006.
Security researchers have found a vulnerability in processors from chip manufacturer AMD that has existed for many years, reports the US magazine “Wired”. The security hole allows attackers to gain access to the “privileged” parts of a computer.
This means that the vulnerability known as Sinkclose can be used to infiltrate malware onto the computer that is not visible to operating systems and anti-virus programs. In theory, countless PC systems are affected, as the gap is present in “almost all AMD chips since 2006”.
According to “Wired”, the researchers want to present their findings at this year’s hacker conference “Defcon”. The “Defcon” will take place from August 12th to 13th in Las Vegas. AMD was informed about the vulnerability in its processors months ago, it is said.
The hardware manufacturer has confirmed the researchers’ results and will publish corresponding updates. AMD has already published numerous firmware updates for its CPUs on its website.
The vulnerability affects the manufacturer’s popular Ryzen processors, which are found in many home computer systems. According to the report, some of the older Athlon processors also have a security risk.
The security researchers responsible for discovering the vulnerability assume that Windows manufacturer Microsoft will integrate the updates for affected computers into future updates of its operating system. In this case, PC owners would not have to do anything else.
Computer owners can also keep an eye on their motherboard manufacturer’s website to see if a firmware update is available. PC users can also find out how to install such a patch, also known as a BIOS update, on the manufacturer’s website.