UC San Diego Researchers Uncover New CPU Attack Method, Intel Responds

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have detailed a new attack method called Indirector targeting Intel CPUs. Similar to Spectre v2 or Spectre Branch Target Injection, the attack exploits the Indirect Branch Predictor (IBP) and the Branch Target Buffer (BTB) in high-end Intel CPUs.

This high-precision BTI attack can bypass existing defenses and compromise the security of modern CPUs. The researchers have developed a tool called iBranch Locator to facilitate IBP and BTB injection attacks. They reported their findings to Intel in February 2024, and Intel has informed other affected hardware/software vendors about the issues.

Read more – Intel Says No New Mitigations Required for Indirector CPU Attack