University of Birmingham Finds Weakness in Intel's Processors
Researchers at the University of Birmingham say that they have identified a weakness in Intel’s processors: by undervolting the CPU, Intel’s secure enclave technology reportedly becomes vulnerable to attack.
"Modern processors are being pushed to perform faster than ever before – and with this comes increases in heat and power consumption. To manage this, many chip manufacturers allow frequency and voltage to be adjusted as and when needed – known as ‘undervolting’ or ‘overvolting’. This is done through privileged software interfaces, such as a “model-specific register” in Intel Core processors," says the University of Birmingham.