The Finest Hand-Selected Downloads
Individually reviewed & tested
Store News

Ashampoo Spectre Meltdown CPU Checker 1.1.1

Check your processor for the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.

Rating:
Operating Systems:
Windows 10, Windows 7 (32 bit), Windows 7 (64 bit), Windows 8
License:
Freeware
Developer:
Ashampoo
Software Cost:
Free
Category
Security
Date Updated:
15 January 2018
Downloads To Date:
965
Languages:
English
Download Size:
690.00 KB

The end of 2017 saw a rather disturbing pair of vulnerabilities emerge that affect a large number of PCs and Macs. They emerged at the processor level, meaning multiple steps are required to mitigate the vulnerability.

The threats have been named Spectre and Meltdown – the most pressing of these is Meltdown, and affects all Intel chips as well as a handful of ARM chips. Fixes are being applied at multiple levels: the browser, Windows (and macOS) and within the chip’s own internal firmware.

Spectre affects all chips – even AMD ones – but is an emerging threat that at present has yet to be exploited.

How can you be sure whether your processor is affected by either – or both – threats? Ashampoo’s standalone tool promises to keep things simple. Download and launch the program, then click ‘Start security check’. Wait a few seconds and the results will be shown.

Note, Windows 7 and 8 users may need to first install the Windows Management Framework 5.1 to install or update Powershell to the required version. Windows 8.1 and 10 users should have no need for either.

Once the test is run, the results are straightforward enough. If you have an Intel or ARM chip, the results are likely to be a pair of red exclamation marks and “Your processor is vulnerable!” AMD users will be flagged for the Spectre vulnerability, but not the Meltdown one.

The ‘More info’ link provides a web page with additional information about the vulnerabilities, but no practical advice. You’ll need to visit your manufacturer’s support pages where you should find instructions on what to do next to resolve the hardware side of the vulnerability, which involves installing a firmware update via a BIOS update.

Note, modern motherboards will be fixed first, but the fate for older chipsets remains uncertain – Intel has only promised to release microcode updates for "90%" of CPUs that are five years old or newer, but some manufacturers may not bother to support older processors: Asus recently stated it would only support chipsets going back three years, for example. You may need to keep checking back regularly to see if a fix has been released.

Verdict:

The tool provides an easy way to confirm your CPU is vulnerable to either Spectre or Meltdown vulnerabilities.

Your Comments & Opinion

Related Downloads Other Downloads From This Category

Examine, test and speed up your Intel SSD with this useful toolkit

Freeware

Check your network devices for vulnerabilities

Freeware

Check your Intel firmware for the recent Management Engine flaw

Freeware

A portable security/ vulnerability/ forensic tool

Freeware

Set up your Intel SSD in minutes with this simple disk cloning tool

Freeware

Instantly identify your Intel CPU's model, speed and capabilities

Freeware

Take control of your motherboard with this advanced tweaking tool

Freeware
43,097,451
Downloads
Secure & Tested Software
6,454
Reviews
Instant Download 24/7
312,741
Members
10+ Years of Service