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Date:      Sun, 9 Nov 1997 03:08:14 -0600 (CST)
From:      Jim Bryant <jbryant@unix.tfs.net>
To:        cmott@srv.net (Charles Mott)
Cc:        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Newest Pentium bug (fatal)
Message-ID:  <199711090908.DAA05745@argus.tfs.net>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.971108215031.23401A-100000@darkstar.home> from Charles Mott at "Nov 8, 97 10:06:59 pm"

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In reply:
> On Sat, 8 Nov 1997, Howard Lew wrote:
> > 
> > For Windows users this bug should not be much of a problem unless viruses
> > start popping up taking advantage of the bug.  For FreeBSD it is not very
> > comforting to know that any misbehaving user can lock up your shell
> > machine, but in a controlled environment this should not be a problem.
> > 
> 
> Possibly also systems where users are allowed to put executable
> CGI-invoked code on their web pages (although usually such users
> also have shell accounts).
> 
> This could be bad for Intel.  I think that there is a limited
> subset of Pentium owners which now have a *very* strong incentive
> to obtain replacement chips or go to alternate vendors (AMD or
> IDT).

this is going to be a real nightmare for intel... how many pentiums
are out there, and i'm begionning to notice a lot of pentium-specific
stuff out there now.  the instruction seqquence in question seems to
me to be a type that will be in widespread use in the very near
future.

to compare and exchange a 64 bit number is pretty fundamental, but
still pentium specific.  with the forward push for pentium specific
programs, this will become more and more of a problem...

hmmmm....  100+ million pissed off customers...   just imagine the
logistics of a recall....

jim
-- 
All opinions expressed are mine, if you    |  "I will not be pushed, stamped,
think otherwise, then go jump into turbid  |  briefed, debriefed, indexed, or
radioactive waters and yell WAHOO !!!      |  numbered!" - #1, "The Prisoner"
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