Intel axes plans to armor some CPUs against Spectre
by from Techreport on (#3KXBA)
Do you remember when we told you that Intel was preparing Spectre mitigations for chips as old as 45-nm Core 2 Duo hardware? It turns out that's no longer happening. Intel just published another update to its Microcode Update Guidance document-a list of chips that have gotten, are getting, or will get Spectre-mitigating microcode updates. The new version lists Core 2 Duo processors among a number of models that are no longer slated to get updates.
Specifically, no Core 2 chips are getting Spectre mitigations. Intel also canceled updates for the Bloomfield , Clarksfield , Gulftown , and Jasper Forest families. Those chips are primarily higher-end processors from the original Core ...