Intel on Thursday began issuing patches for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities linked to its processors.

The Meltdown and Spectre revelations have people around the world concerned about privacy, but there has also been great speculation about the reduction in performance that patches might bring.

In a press release, the Santa Clara-based tech giant said it has 'developed and is rapidly issuing updates for all types of Intel-based computer systems -- including personal computers and servers -- that render those systems immune from both exploits reported by Google Project Zero.'

The two critical chip vulnerabilities date back more than two decades and were found to enable an attacker to steal data from the memory of running apps, such as data from password managers, browsers, emails, photos, and documents. The researchers who discovered the vulnerabilities said that 'almost every system,' since 1995, including computers and phones, is affected by the bug.

Read also: Major Linux redesign in the works to deal with Intel security flaw

Intel says it has already issued updates for the majority of its processor products released in the last five years. By the end of next week, the company expects to have updates for 90 percent of the past five years' processors.

Additionally, Intel said that 'many operating system vendors, public cloud service providers, device manufacturers and others have indicated that they have already updated their products and services.' It's still unclear when Intel will have patches ready for processors that are more than five years old.

Intel maintains that there are no known exploits for the vulnerabilities, but it's encouraging computer users worldwide to enable automatic updates of their operating systems and other computer software to keep their systems up-to-date.

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The shift in position, however, is not expected to last.

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Building a slide deck, pitch, or presentation? Here are the big takeaways:

• Intel has released another round of patches for older chipsets affected by Spectre and Meltdown. The latest include Ivy and Sandy Bridge chips, released in 2012 and 2011, respectively.
• Any organizations with affected machines are advised to patch immediately. Any machines that cannot be patched, or which are waiting for unreleased updates, should have their network access restricted or be cut off from the internet.

Intel Spectre And Meltdown Patch Download

Intel's Spectre and Meltdown patching efforts continue to reach further back into the company's history, now going as far as Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge chipsets.

The latest Intel Microcode Revision Guidance shows the status of both Ivy and Sandy Bridge updates to be in production, meaning that 'Intel has completed all validation and is authorizing customers to use this MCU in a production environment.'

Those still using Ivy or Sandy Bridge chips are advised to install microcode updates immediately. Machines left unpatched against Spectre and Meltdown are being placed in a very vulnerable position.

Ivy and Sandy bridge chips were released in 2012 and 2011, respectively, and were rendered obsolete by the release of Intel's Haswell chips in 2013. Despite their age, it's likely there are at least a few chips of this generation in use, especially considering that 52% of businesses are still running at least one instance of Windows XP.

Spectre and Meltdown are serious risks

Intel's patching efforts aren't finished: Older chips like the mobile-specific Arrandale, Clarkdale, Wolfdale, Yorkdale, and others are still waiting for development and/or release. The fact that these chips, most over a decade old, are even considered worth patching reveals much about the severity of the Spectre and Meltdown risk.

With over 100 strains of malware identified that take advantage of Spectre and Meltdown, the risks of an unpatched machine being infected are real and are likely to grow as time goes on. Recent high-profile malware campaigns have taken advantage of exploits that had already been patched, leaving victims to answer uncomfortable accountability questions about why they fell prey when the incident could have easily been avoided.

SEE: Network security policy (Tech Pro Research)

Both Spectre and Meltdown take advantage of flaws in Intel CPU design to potentially steal sensitive data from affected machines, and both can do so relatively easily—even script running on a malicious website could exploit the vulnerabilities without a user knowing.

With most every device in the world affected by Spectre and Meltdown, no one with an unpatched, internet-connected machine is safe. IT teams should be sure they're installing the latest updates for all managed devices, and BYOD hardware that hasn't had patches installed should be blocked from accessing company networks or sensitive information.

Those in charge of patching should keep a constant eye on Intel's Microcode Revision updates if they have any machines still waiting for a patch. Once patches are released, be sure to apply them right away.

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Windows Meltdown And Spectre Patch

Also see

Microsoft Spectre Meltdown Patch

• IT pro's guide to effective patch management (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
• Use HP, Lenovo or Dell? Get ready for new updates to guard against Spectre (ZDNet)
• Spectre and Meltdown: Cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
• Meltdown-Spectre flaws: We've found new attack variants, say researchers (ZDNet)
• 6 important security takeaways from applying Spectre and Meltdown patches (TechRepublic)