A critical security vulnerability recently discovered in many AMD processors could take months to patch, and could leave users vulnerable to information theft and encryption-breaking.
The flaw, dubbed “Ryzenfall”, affects AMD’s Ryzen and Ryzen Pro CPUs and potentially affects many desktop PCs, laptops, servers, and other hardware. According to researchers from security firm CTS Labs, Ryzenfall could potentially allow malicious attackers to access and modify memory content, intercept data encrypted with Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV), and bypass Windows password security.
As alarming as this security vulnerability sounds, AMD has already addressed it and is working to create a patch to prevent it; however, the process could take months to complete. In a statement issued by AMD, they explain why the process might take longer than expected:
“This is a difficult issue to address, because it requires the development of a complex software solution. We must ensure that any solution we provide does not compromise the security of our customers’ systems. As a result, we are working on the most reliable and secure solution possible, and expect to have it available in the coming weeks and months ahead.”
AMD also explains that, for now, users should remain calm and continue to practice good security practices. Keeping up-to-date security measures like firewalls and antivirus software running, changing passwords regularly, and being aware of the security threats out there all remain important.
While AMD’s statement is reassuring in some ways, there’s no denying that this security vulnerability is concerning. To keep their data secure, users should keep an eye out for updates from AMD on how the company is addressing the Ryzenfall issue. In the meantime, there’s no better time than now to practice good security habits.
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