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Linux To Incorporate Intel CPU Hybrid Topology For Determining Vulnerabilities/Mitigations
Within the every increasingly complex world of CPU security mitigations, Intel engineers have submitted Linux kernel patches to begin taking into account the CPU core 'hybrid' topology when determining relevant CPU security vulnerabilities and in turn the mitigations to apply.
The patches sent out this Monday morning from Intel are adding the CPU-type information to the kernel's x86/x86_64 topology code. So with the current x86_64 CPU vulnerability/mitigation handling, even these P-core-only SKUs may end up seeing mitigations applied that are only relevant for systems having E cores. The immediate difference with these new Linux kernel patches is that the P-core-only processors will no longer see Register File Data Sampling(RFDS) mitigation applied with RFDS only being needed for E-core / Atom processor cores.
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