| Developers: | Intel |
| Last Release Date: | 2021/01/12 |
| Technology: | Processors |
Content |
Intel Pentium is a generation X86 processor manufactured by Intel since 1993. Pentium models are the fifth generation of Intel central processors to replace the Intel 80486.
2022: Correcting Critical Vulnerabilities in BIOS
On May 12, 2022, it became known that Intel has released fixes for many vulnerabilities in its products, including a series of critical vulnerabilities in the BIOS of several processor models. More details here.
2021
Vulnerability to espionage
On November 15, 2021 Positive Technologies , the company reported the discovery of vulnerabilities in, processors Intel which are used in, and laptops cars other devices. The vulnerability can be used to access encrypted data, to files spy, and bypass copyright protection. The CVE-2021-0146 vulnerability enables testing or debugging modes on multiple Intel processor lines.
According to the company, this can allow an unidentified user with physical access to obtain increased privileges in the system. The problem was found in the Pentium, Celeron and Atom processors of the Apollo Lake, Gemini Lake and Gemini Lake Refresh platforms, which are used both in mobile computers and in embedded systems. The threat concerns a wide range of netbooks and a significant portion of Intel-based Internet of Things (IoT) systems - from home appliances and smart home systems to cars and medical equipment.
According to a study by Mordor Intelligence, as of November 2021, Intel ranks fourth in the Internet of Things chip market, and its IoT processors Intel Atom E3900 series, which also have the vulnerability CVE-2021-0146, use automakers in more than 30 car models, including, according to unofficial data, Tesla in Tesla Model 3.
The error, which received a rating of 7.1 points on the CVSS 3.1 scale, was revealed by Mark Ermolov, Dmitry Sklyarov (both Positive Technologies specialists) and Maxim Goryachy (independent researcher).
 | One example of a real threat is lost or stolen laptops that contain confidential information in encrypted form. Using this vulnerability, the attacker can retrieve the key enciphering and access information inside the laptop. The error can also be exploited in targeted attacks through the supply chain. For example, an employee of an Intel processor device provider can theoretically extract a firmware key Intel CSME and implement a spyware program that will not be detected by software. means of protection This vulnerability is also dangerous because it allows you to retrieve the root encryption key used in Intel PTT (Platform Trust Technology) and Intel EPID (Enhanced Privacy ID) technologies digital content in illegal copy protection systems. For example, a number of models e-books Amazon apply Intel EPID-based protection to manage digital rights. Using this vulnerability, the attacker can extract the EPID root key from the device (e-book), and then, compromising Intel EPID technology, download electronic materials from in the form of providers files, copy them and distribute them. told by Mark Ermolov |  |
According to Mark Ermolov, from a technical point of view, the vulnerability is due to the presence of debugging functionality with redundant privileges, which is not properly protected. To avoid such problems in the future and avoid the possibility of bypassing built-in protection, manufacturers should take a more careful approach to ensuring the security of debugging mechanisms. To resolve a detected vulnerability, UEFI BIOS updates published by end-users of electronic hardware (laptops or other devices) must be installed. Continuous monitoring of vulnerabilities within the infrastructure will help MaxPatrol VM, the next generation vulnerability management system. In case of a successful attack, one way to detect signs of penetration is to use SIEM class systems (for example, MaxPatrol SIEM) that detect suspicious behavior on the server and timely stop the advance of intruders within the corporate network.
Intel Pentium Silver and Celeron N Series
On January 12, 2021, the company Intel introduced the processors Intel Pentium Silver and Celeron Series N. Processors are based on 10 nm Intel architecture, which provides an increase in total performance of up to applications 35%, as well as up to 78% faster graphics than previous generation systems. This allows applications to work more stably in multi-tasking mode, and the updated camera and advanced device connectivity take the process of conducting videoconferences and viewing multimedia to the content next level.
According to the company, technology development is only part of the task. To meet the need for education, it is important to provide students with the mobile solutions they need. So far, about 30% of schoolchildren in the United States do not have access to the Internet, as well as the laptops needed to study, and the pandemic has only exacerbated this problem. Over the past 15 years, Intel has invested more than $1 billion in educational programs around the world, including training more than 15 million teachers. In April 2020, the company launched the Online Learning Initiative and provided hundreds of thousands of devices, as well as opportunities for connecting and working with educational resources to students from different countries. In 2021, Intel, together with its industry partners and beyond, will continue this activity.
2011: Pentium Revival
Intel breathed new life into the Pentium processor, reconstructed it for use in low-budget servers and began shipping the product under the Pentium 350 label.
The dual-core processor runs at 1.2 GHz, has 3 MB of cache. Like other server processors, the Pentium 350 does not have the built-in graphics processing tools that are present on most Intel laptops and desktop processors.
The Pentium processor line has been manufactured for more than a decade, but now they are focused mainly on budget laptops and desktops. Pentium was an iconic processor, Intel's flagship product in the PC chip line, currently held by Core chips. For some time, the company produced Pentium III and Pentium II Xeon chips for servers.
According to an Intel representative, the chip is designed for microservers - low-power, compact servers for web, service delivery and content. Intel is already offering Xeon E3 chips, and it is expected to release new chips for microservers, but already based on the Atom processor.
Dean McCarron, chief analyst at Mercury Research, believes that the new processor is a recognition of the sustainability of the Pentium brand. In addition, in his opinion, microservers based on the Pentium 350 can also be used in inexpensive servers with specific tasks of storing data, printing documents and the like.
The analyst believes that we are talking about repurposing the model. Pentium 350 is a less expensive alternative to Intel PC chips, which can also be used in servers, but are more expensive due to additional features, such as integrated graphics. The new processor consumes 15W of power and is likely to be used in blade servers, said Mac Carron.
However, this release will not replace the current low-power Atom processors. They, as a rule, are applied to netbooks and tablets, but used also in servers of high density of installation, such as SM10000-64HD from SeaMicro, for processing of transactions in a cloud environment.
The orientation of the new chip to servers may be a sign that Intel plans to replace the Celeron brand with the Pentium brand. Celeron is the weakest processor in Intel's product line. Processors of this type are used in inexpensive desktops and laptops, and in some cases in low-cost servers.
Prices for the Pentium 350 Intel has not yet announced.
1993-2000: Products
- On March 23, 1993, the first Intel Pentium model with the P5 core was introduced.
- On November 1, 1995, the Intel Pentium Pro was released.
- On June 10, 1996, Intel released the Pentium II processor.
- On February 26, 1999, the Intel Pentium III was introduced.
- November 20, 2000 announced Intel Pentium 4
Interesting facts
- Widely advertised in 1993 processor Intel , Pentium incorrectly produced floating point division, mistaken for 0.006%. This bug one cost Intel about $475 million.
- 98 different errors were detected in Pentium III processors, of which only 31 were fixed [1].
- Due to the threat of electronic surveillance, it was proposed to ban the Intel Pentium III in the European Union. The fact is that the unique processor number could be remotely identified by the CPUID instruction, which raised security questions. [2]
Notes
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