Security Vulnerabilities in Microprocessors

Microprocessors such as those found in PCs and smartphones are complex in their design and nature. In recent years, an increasing number of security vulnerabilities have been found within these microprocessors that can leak sensitive user data and information. This report will investigate microarchitecture vulnerabilities focusing on the Spectre and Meltdown exploits and will look at what they do, how they do it and, the real-world impact these vulnerabilities can cause. Additionally, there will be an introduction to the basic concepts of how several PC components operate to support this.