As anyone in the internet security world knows, there are a number of threats operating at the same time. In fact, the sheer number of exploits is now reaching the highest level ever. In the realm of modern exploits, SpectreRSB remains a serious threat to the average operating system. Find out more about SpectreRSB attacks and how to overcome one.
A Little Bit About Spectre
Spectre is an older type of exploit that attached to the speculative execution mechanism. This function is found in many of today’s processors. At some point, Spectre attacks were thought to be a thing of the past. However, these types of exploits were reborn in the form of SpectreRSB. This new version of Spectre attempts to exploit the Return Stack Buffer (RSB) to facilitate the attack.
Spectre has existed in many different forms over the past year or so. It started off with variants one and two, which were quickly resolved. Then, Spectre versions 1.1 and 1.2 hit the scene. Finally, the RSB version was detected. This is the current version which is still in circulation.
The Details About the Exploit
The presence of speculative execution is what makes this exploit possible. Speculative executions help CPUs maximize their speed by operating a set of batch instructions. During this process, there is no fail-safe to ensure that the memory accessed from the cache has the appropriate privileges. Therefore, a loophole is available where the RSB version can take hold. Specifically, the RSB Spectre uses the Return Stack Buffer, hence the name.
Prepping a Defense
Any organization that uses RSB for return address prediction needs to set up a defense. The best solution available at the current time is a process called RSB refilling. This works by filling the address with that of a non-relevant device to prevent inappropriate speculation. By refilling, the entries for the return address are overwritten. This prevents the attacker from getting access to the compromised address. Doing so effectively negates the attacker’s efforts.
Be Prepared for the Future
Although the above section details a way to combat RSB attacks, you should not rest assured. Attacks will continue to come in all shapes and sizes. To be totally prepared, you need to check every possible avenue for vulnerabilities.
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