What vulnerability class do "Spectre" and "Meltdown" exploit, and what architectural feature do they target?
Correct! Well done.
Incorrect.
The correct answer is A) They exploit speculative execution and branch prediction mechanisms, allowing an attacker to infer the contents of memory that should be inaccessible by observing timing differences (side channels) caused by speculatively executed instructions
Correct Answer
They exploit speculative execution and branch prediction mechanisms, allowing an attacker to infer the contents of memory that should be inaccessible by observing timing differences (side channels) caused by speculatively executed instructions
Spectre and Meltdown exploit the fact that speculatively executed instructions can leave measurable side effects (like cache state changes) even when their results are ultimately discarded, allowing attackers to leak data across security boundaries via timing side channels.