Re: Intel Pentium Bug

JoelKatz (joelkatz@WEBMASTER.COM)
Fri, 07 Nov 1997 23:05:28 -0500

>So, only the operating system or a Master Boot Record virus, will be able
to
>install the new microcode.

Not even. As I understand it, the microcode must be updated by the BIOS.
By the time the boot sector is loaded, the chip has already disabled the
microcode update capability. Rumor is that microcode updates must also be
'signed', but I find it hard to believe that Intel could implement a true
digital signature algorithm entirely in microcode.

DS