Previously, vulnerabilities known as Spectre and Meltdown were uncovered, impacting a substantial number of Intel and AMD processors. These vulnerabilities allowed unauthorized access to sensitive data on compromised computers.
An update addressing one of the Spectre variants was released by Intel on March 8, 2022. As a response, Microsoft has incorporated security enhancements into both Windows client and server editions.
Initially, these security enhancements are deactivated by default due to apprehensions regarding potential performance implications upon activation.
This article presents a systematic guide on configuring Windows to activate these security features and verifying if your processor is affected.
Is Your Processor Impacted?
The primary step involves confirming if your processor is among those mentioned in Intel’s provided list of affected processors.
- If your processor is part of the list, it is recommended to activate the security feature to safeguard your system against possible attacks.
- If your processor is not on the list, you may skip the subsequent instructions.
Here’s how to verify:
- Access Start > Settings > System > About and verify the listed processor.
- Refer to both Nist.gov and Intel’s Affected Processors website to determine if your processor is mentioned. You can expedite the process by using the browser search function to locate the information swiftly.
Modifying Microsoft’s Registry to Address the Vulnerability
If your processor is identified as impacted, you can adjust the Registry keys to activate the security features.
Essential: While it is not discouraged to implement these measures, it is crucial to recognize the potential performance implications. Generally, the risk of personal computer attacks is relatively low.
Backup Suggestion: It is strongly advised to create a system drive backup before implementing the security feature. Refrain from using the Windows Backup App and consider opting for a comprehensive tool like Paragon Backup & Recovery Free.
Below are the steps to mitigate CVE-2022-0001 on Windows devices and clients:
- Initiate Start, enter CMD, and select Run as administrator to launch an elevated command prompt window.
- Confirm the User Account Control (UAC) prompt by choosing yes.
- Execute the subsequent two commands by pasting and pressing Enter after each:
- reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management” /v FeatureSettingsOverride /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00800000 /f
- reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management” /v FeatureSettingsOverrideMask /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000003 /f
- Upon adding both Registry keys, restart the computer.
Suggestion: Monitor performance closely to ensure that daily operations are not significantly impacted by the security features.
Interestingly, Microsoft has also provided guidance on how Linux users can address the vulnerability by specifying “spectre_bhi=on” on the kernel command line.
Concluding Remarks
While deploying security measures is crucial for organizations, the probability of home users being targeted by attacks remains relatively low.
Image Source: Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / Shutterstock
