Load value injection explained

See also: Transient execution CPU vulnerability.

Load value injection
Affected Hardware:	Intel x86 microprocessors

Load value injection (LVI) is an attack on Intel microprocessors that can be used to attack Intel's Software Guard Extensions (SGX) technology.^[1] It is a development of the previously known Meltdown security vulnerability. Unlike Meltdown, which can only read hidden data, LVI can inject data values, and is resistant to the countermeasures so far used to mitigate the Meltdown vulnerability.^{[2] [3]}

In theory, any processor affected by Meltdown may be vulnerable to LVI,^[4] but, LVI is only known to affect Intel microprocessors.^[2] Intel has published a guide to mitigating the vulnerability by using compiler technology, requiring existing software to be recompiled to add [[LFENCE]] memory barrier instructions at every potentially vulnerable point in the code.^[5] However, this mitigation appears likely to result in substantial performance reductions in the recompiled code.^[6]

See also

• Transient execution CPU vulnerabilities

External links

• • Intel's analysis of the LVI vulnerability

Notes and References

1. Web site: Load Value Injection. 2020-03-10. software.intel.com. 2020-03-11.
2. Web site: Intel CPUs vulnerable to new LVI attacks. Cimpanu. Catalin. ZDNet. en. 2020-03-11.
3. Web site: New Load Value Injection Vulnerability Found In Intel Chips. Alcorn. Paul. 10 March 2020. Tom's Hardware. en. 2020-03-11.
4. Web site: Meltdown The Sequel strikes Intel chips – and full mitigation against data-meddling LVI flaw will slash performance. Claburn. Thomas. 10 Mar 2020. www.theregister.co.uk. en. 2020-03-11.
5. Web site: An Optimized Mitigation Approach for Load Value Injection. software.intel.com. 2020-03-11.
6. Web site: Load Value Injection: A New Intel Attack Bypasses SGX with Significant Performance Mitigation Concerns. Cutress. Ian. www.anandtech.com. 2020-03-11.