Make sure your PC is vulnerable to Specter and Meltdown without installing anything
InSpectre is an application that analyzes the status of your computer and detects if the PC is vulnerable to Meltdown and Specter failures. The tool, created by a security specialist at Gibson Research, occupies only 122 KB and can be downloaded for free. After the download, simply run the program without the need for installation.
So it looks at the condition of your computer to find out if the PC already has the updates released by Intel, AMD and Microsoft that reduce the effects of the two gaps. The negative part of InSpectre is the language, since there is no Portuguese version. Below, you'll discover how to use the tool and interpret its results to know what to do to protect your computer.
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Step 1. Download InSpectre in Downloads. You will be redirected to the official application website. There, click the "Download now" button.
Download InSpectre
Step 2. Now open InSpectre. The first information displayed is a summary of the computer status of the vulnerabilities. In the case of the PC used in the test, InSpectre charges that the machine is susceptible to both faults.
InSpectre diagnostics result indicates that PC is vulnerable to both gaps
Step 3. Slide the text until you find the item "This system's present situation:". In this area, InSpecter details the level of system exposure to Meltdown and Specter. In our case, note that the program warns that the version of Windows is not updated with the fixes against the two bugs. One tip is that the red text draws attention to problems on the PC.
InSpectre warns that the version of Windows used in the test does not rely on Microsoft patches
Step 4. The text in the green color tells you if the corrections are already active. In the case of the test computer, the application detected that the processor had already received the Intel security updates, which help mitigate the Meltdown and Specter breaches.
InSpectre has detected that the computer's processor has already been updated
Other information
The program then details the processor profile. In our example, the application detected that the chip is one of the latest from Intel, capable of offering good protection and low performance losses. Additionally, InSpectre informs you about the system's level of security in the face of crashes, including a check that examines whether the protections have not been locked in the Windows registry.
InSpectre also checks to see if there is any lock in the registry against patches for Meltdown and Specter
And now? Where to look for solutions?
In general, the InSpectre diagnostic offers two directions: the operating system updates and the microcode security updates that run inside the processor. If the problem is in the operating system, the best way to protect yourself is by looking for the latest updates released by Microsoft. After updating the machine, open InSpectre again to check the result.
If the diagnosis is related to the need to upgrade the processor, the scenario is different. It is possible that the Microsoft update for your computer promotes the fix on its own. If that does not happen, the solution will be to look for updates released by the chip manufacturer itself (Intel or AMD). You can also go for BIOS updates for your machine with the company responsible for the PC or motherboard that you use.
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