14 DAY TRIAL // In addition to security updates addressing vulnerabilities in the OS and OS components, Microsoft has also shipped new patches for Meltdown and Spectre hardware bugs for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
First and foremost, let’s talk Windows 10. Microsoft recently released new updates that included Intel microcode patches for Spectre 2 vulnerabilities only for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update systems powered by Skylake chips.
With the March 2018 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft expands security updates to Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake processors as well, so now the latest-generation Intel chips are all being patched on Windows 10. Only the latest version of the operating system (currently Fall Creators Update – version 1709) is getting them.
“We will continue to broaden the number of Intel microcode updates available via the catalog as they become available to Microsoft from Intel,” Microsoft says.
The full list of processors that are being patched against the hardware vulnerabilities can be found in KB4093836 here.
Windows 7 and 8.1 patches
Additionally, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are also provided with new Meltdown and Spectre mitigations, as previously, only Windows 10 received the revised microcode updates.
“We are also adding to the breadth of Windows updates to help protect against these vulnerabilities. Today, we are adding software coverage for the Meltdown vulnerability for x86 editions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and we continue to work to provide updates for additional supported versions of Windows,” the firm adds.
Microsoft says even more updates will be shipped in the coming months on Patch Tuesday rollouts, though it reminds that no attacks supposed to exploit Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities were recorded so far. This means not only that most users have already patched their systems, but also that exploiting the processor vulnerabilities is not as easy as some people could think.
Users are recommended to install the updates as soon as possible, and all patches are available via Windows Update right now.