Zombieload Attack

Watch out! Your processor can resurrect your private browsing-history and other sensitive data. After Meltdown, Spectre, and Foreshadow, more critical vulnerabilities have been discovered in modern processors. The ZombieLoad attack allows stealing sensitive data and keys while the computer accesses them.

An alarming proof-of-concept video shows how the ZombieLoad exploit can be executed to see which websites a person is viewing in real time. The vulnerabilities also open the door for attackers to nab passwords, sensitive documents and encryption keys directly from a CPU.

While programs normally only see their own data, a malicious program can exploit the fill buffers to get hold of secrets currently processed by other running programs. These secrets can be user-level secrets, such as browser history, website content, user keys, and passwords, or system-level secrets, such as disk encryption keys.The attack does not only work on personal computers but can also be exploited in the cloud.

ZombieLoad and its kin affect every Intel processor made since 2011, which means all MacBooks, and a large majority of Windows PCs, most  Linux servers and even many Chromebooks are in the cross-hairs. The bugs can even be used on virtual machines in the cloud, but AMD and ARM chips do not appear to affected by these latest flaws.

Unfortunately, researchers believe that vulnerabilities related to speculative execution will continue to surface far into the future. We can only cross our fingers that these flaws are quickly patched, but once they are, it's important to make sure your devices have all been updated to the latest, most secure versions.

All our MSP clients have already been patched for this vulnerability. We are working to get everyone else patched as quickly as possible.