March 2018 firmware update brings new mitigations

Mar 20, 2018 08:41 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has released a new firmware update for the Surface Pro and this time the company also included additional Meltdown and Spectre mitigations for its devices.

Only the Surface Pro and the Surface Pro with LTE Advanced are getting this new firmware update, and as it happens every time, it’s shipped via Windows Update for all devices.

According to Microsoft itself, the new release comes with firmware version Surface – Firmware – 233.2110.770.0, which includes fixes for potential security vulnerabilities, such as mitigations for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities disclosed in early January.

These new fixes integrate additional patches against the Spectre Variant 2 security flaw after Intel itself published patches earlier this month. Microsoft has also shipped the revised updates to its devices, and now it’s Surface Pro’s turn to get patched.

Additionally, the new firmware version also comes with Surface System Aggregator firmware version 234.2110.1.0, which the company says should improve battery reliability.

Meltdown and Spectre flaws

Of particular note is that Microsoft is still not aware of any exploits targeting the Meltdown and Spectre flaws, and the company says that installing all these patches keep devices secure.

“Customers using Microsoft Surface and Surface Book products need to apply both firmware and software updates. Most customers have automatic updating enabled and will not need to take any action because this security update will be downloaded and installed automatically. Microsoft will continue to work closely with industry partners to improve mitigations against this class of vulnerabilities,” the firm says.

Microsoft’s Surface devices have already received updates against the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities, and users are recommended to install them as soon as possible.

In the case of 2-in-1 devices, you should make sure the battery is fully charged and the PC is plugged in because interrupting a firmware update could cause performance and stability issues.