Microsoft issues emergency Windows update to disable Intel’s buggy Spectre fixes - The Verge

Wintel c2018: partner patch patching; also see Windows emergency patch: Microsoft's new update kills off Intel's Spectre fix (ZDNet)

"Microsoft has been forced to issue a second out-of-band security update this month, to deal with the issues around Intel’s Spectre firmware updates. Intel warned last week that its own security updates have been buggy, causing some systems to spontaneously reboot. Intel then buried a warning in its latest financial results that its buggy firmware updates could lead to “data loss or corruption.”

Intel has been advising PC makers and customers to simply stop updating their firmware right now, until properly tested updates are available. Microsoft has gone a step further, and is issuing a new software update for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 systems to disable protection against Spectre variant 2. Microsoft says its own testing has found that this update prevents the reboots that have been occurring."

Microsoft issues emergency Windows update to disable Intel’s buggy Spectre fixes - The Verge