Microprocessor Bugs Could Create Security Disaster
November 19, 2007 – 4:32 pmAdi Shamir, one of the world’s leading cryptographers and co-developer of the RSA encryption code has warned that if computer microprocessors contain bugs which lead to mathmatical errors, computer security could be at risk. Shamir noted that the increasing complexity of modern microprocessors is almost certain to lead to undetected errors. If a math error were discovered in a popular microprocessor, an attacker could use this knowledge to decode protected data on millions of computers simulaneously.
Bugs in computer chips are not unheard of. A division bug was discovered in Intel’s Pentium processor in the mid-1990′s. Shamir noted that the danger is theoretical and that there is no evidence that anyone is currently using such an attack.
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