In fact, governments probably should only EVER deploy executables they have built themselves, using their own compilers (see the classic computer science paper Reflections on Trusting Trust).
You’d also need chip #microcode auditing and verification for security-critical systems. And some level of chip assurance. And 
Run RISC-V Binaries on AMD Zen-Series CPUs via Microcode Modification
#HackerNews #RISC-V #AMD #Microcode #Zen-Series #Binaries #Technology
#NixOS is interesting. Pretty reliable (not as much as #AtomicDesktops in my noob tests) while also performant
Note that such old hardware will have #microcode vulnerabilities and locking it down will further slow it down. At least thinking of #spectre or #meltdown (not sure if hyperthreading was even thought of back then)
Undocumented 8086 instructions, explained by the microcode
https://www.righto.com/2023/07/undocumented-8086-instructions.html
#HackerNews #Undocumented #8086 #instructions #microcode #technology #computing #retro #programming
Notes on the Pentium's Microcode Circuitry
https://www.righto.com/2025/03/pentium-microcde-rom-circuitry.html
Extensive Analysis of the Raptor Lake CPU Bug
Intel’s Raptor Lake CPUs, which form part of the 13th and 14th generation Intel Core desktop processor line, were celebrated for their hybrid architecture combining high-performance cores with efficiency cores. However, shortly after their release, a critical bug emerged that has led to system instability and, in some cases, permanent degradation of the affected chips.
Read More: https://machaddr.substack.com/p/extensive-analysis-of-the-raptor
Zen and the Art of Microcode Hacking:
https://bughunters.google.com/blog/5424842357473280/zen-and-the-art-of-microcode-hacking
Zen and the Art of Microcode Hacking:
https://bughunters.google.com/blog/5424842357473280/zen-and-the-art-of-microcode-hacking
Zentool – AMD Zen Microcode Manipulation Utility — https://github.com/google/security-research/blob/master/pocs/cpus/entrysign/zentool/README.md
#HackerNews #Zentool #AMD #Zen #Microcode #Manipulation #Utility #security #research #GitHub #tech #news
One of the organisations I work for is so poor, we should not exist by any account.
How poor?
Our main server is fifteen years old.
Only reason we got it, it was abandoned in a rack we bought for $50 and I resurrected it.
This transcends boneyard.
This is summoning machine spirits from beyond, Deus Mechanics incantations.
I yelled at the Operations manager today, calling him a Necromancer because he was praising this ancient "Raid" box as "better than what we used to have" when all I want to do is nail it to the wall as a warning to others.
Anyhoo...
This is how I found today that a 15 year old iron running #Debian 10 simply could not run any #docker images of this particular package because the #nodej component just won't run on the #microcode
I don't even realise it was a thing.
But then, how many of you run a box that's 15 years old in production...
...how "slow" is that rack server?
I pulled one of the Intel NUCs out of the boneyard (it's one of those paper book sized box "computers") and put Debian on THAT...
...it runs 33% faster and that thing was binned because it couldn't pull an office admin desktop workload.
33% faster!!!
https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2025/02/04/google_amd_microcode/
I just bought a new nuc with a ryzen5 cpu. Damn. #AMD #Ryzen #Epyc #microcode
How to make any #AMD Zen #CPU always generate 4 from RDRAND
"We have demonstrated the ability to craft arbitrary malicious microcode patches on Zen 1 through #Zen4 CPUs," the Google #Security Team said.
"The #vulnerability is that the CPU uses an insecure hash function in the signature validation for #microcode updates."
The flaw listed as CVE-2024-56161 with a CVSS score of 7.2 out of 10, was discovered and reported to AMD in September, and a fix was devised by December.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/04/google_amd_microcode/
So, does this imply that it is a failure by the software to not realize that the hardware and microcode have made a mistake?
There is a lot that can be done at the software level, but to do that still requires that the machine code instructions still function as expected.
It is turtles all of the way down.
The domain name is accurate.
Speculative Executation is not your friend.
Speculative Executation again. See Spectre, et al.
If only I could run a modern browser on a Pentium.
This Week in Security: ClamAV, The AMD Leak, and The Unencrypted Power Grid - Cisco’s ClamAV has a heap-based buffer overflow in its OLE2 file scanning. That’s ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/this-week-in-security-clamav-the-amd-leak-and-the-unencrypted-power-grid/ #thisweekinsecurity #hackadaycolumns #securityhacks #pentesting #microcode #clamav #news
AMD #Microcode Signature Verification #Vulnerability - A patch for a "major" vulnerability in #AMD chips has leaked before it became available for #Linux users, Tavis Ormandy says. It's not clear if a patch for #Windows users is available or not. https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2025/q1/45
