The Microsoft patch for the Meltdown and Spectre microprocessor exploits wasn’t compatible with several anti-virus products. Here’s how the industry’s leading endpoint security vendors are confronting the issue. Page: 1
The Pathway To Getting Patched
The Meltdown and Spectre exploits uncovered late Wednesday are some of the broadest security vulnerabilities the channel community has ever faced, affecting a broad swath of mobile devices, desktops, laptops and servers running in cloud environments.
But many anti-virus providers are having to grapple with an additional complication centered around this week’s Windows security update that patches the vulnerability. Specifically, Microsoft said some anti-virus applications make unsupported calls into Windows kernel memory, which may cause Blue Screen of Death errors and make a device unable to boot.
As a result, Microsoft said it is only offering the Windows security update addressing the Meltdown and Spectre bugs to devices running anti-virus products from vendors that have confirmed the compatibility of their software.
Here’s a look at how 17 of the IT industry’s leading endpoint security vendors are going about obtaining compatibility with the Microsoft patch, as well as what additional actions they’re taking to keep customers safe in the wake of this unprecedented microprocessor vulnerability.
