CPUMicrocodes

As I understood the email thread, they do have microcode updates but they weren't actually released anywhere but in some crusty vendors BIOS update, so you can only get them if someone fished them out of there. i.e. thats what this repo seems to be: https://github.com/platomav/CPUMicrocodes

They have been partially reversed and ==maybe== definitely cracked, but it doesn't matter. The web or chain of trust of those updates from the vendor to the processor is what matters. They're at least CRC checked to prevent loading corrupt files. Intel microcode update secret key revealed https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/10/in-a-first-researche... https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/featured-articles/reverseenginee... https://github.com/intel/Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Dat... https://github.com/platomav/CPUMicrocodes It would take state actor-level effort to install APTs as firmware or microcode updates. Microcode updates are the smallest target because they don't survive power outages. Attacking the TPM, BIOS, SSD, accessory ICs, or supply chain would be more useful.

> When there's a bug in the CPU microcode, you're at the mercy of your motherboard vendor to release a new system BIOS that will update it for you That's just... not true. Is the article wrong, or was the rdrand issue actually bios-specific rather than in CPU microcode? Edit: Whoever downvoted this - ucode update is supported by both Intel and AMD for quite a while. You certainly can just download it: https://github.com/platomav/CPUMicrocodes/tree/master/AMD