Intel's Security Claims: Fact or Fiction?

When selecting top-tier CPUs and GPUs, factors such as power, performance, energy efficiency, and compatibility are typically considered significant aspects. However, these aren’t the only points to focus on. A recent security report by Intel suggests that their CPUs and GPUs offer a higher level of security compared to those produced by competitors AMD and NVIDIA.

The 2024 Intel Product Security Report encompasses a wide range of subjects. Notably, while some notable sections delve into Intel’s response to security hazards, other crucial aspects touch upon AMD and NVIDIA as well.

AMD points out a significant difference, stating that their CPUs allegedly have approximately four times more hardware root-of-trust firmware vulnerabilities than those made by Intel. On the other hand, Intel mentions that NVIDIA GPUs are predicted to have high-severity vulnerabilities in 2024, with a total of 18 such issues identified. According to Intel, their own GPUs have only been reported to have 10 issues, and just one of these has been classified as high or severe.

As a tech enthusiast digging into the nitty-gritty details, I’ve got to say that when it comes to issues at the heart of trust (security flaws in chips), Intel takes the cake. They’ve got it down pat that every single vulnerability affecting their hardware is unearthed by their very own team members. On the flip side, AMD seems to be relying a bit more on external help. Only 58% of their chip vulnerabilities are found within, which leaves a substantial 42% for security researchers outside the company to uncover.

Intel also highlighted that 78 vulnerabilities listed by AMD are marked as “no fix planned.”

Below are the key points summarized by Intel:

96% of the vulnerabilities addressed by Intel in 2024 were discovered through Intel’s proactive product security assurance efforts.
100% of the Intel processor vulnerabilities addressed were discovered through internal security research.
53% of the 374 vulnerabilities Intel addressed received a bug bounty payment.
84% of the bug bounties paid were in the software category.
AMD reported 4.4x more firmware vulnerabilities in their hardware root-of-trust than Intel.
AMD reported 1.8x more firmware vulnerabilities in their confidential computing technologies than Intel.
In the GPU category, NVIDIA had only high-severity vulnerabilities (18) in 2024.

In the comprehensive report they’ve published, Intel delves into potential weaknesses in their platform firmware. They revealed that approximately 94% of these vulnerabilities were addressed due to their ongoing efforts to ensure product security before any issues arise. Contrastingly, AMD could only proactively identify around 57% of the platform vulnerabilities that surfaced last year.

Sharing security reports openly by Intel might appear as mere criticism of competitors, but there is a tangible advantage for consumers: it compels companies like AMD and NVIDIA to address any weaknesses or problems brought up in the report. This practice of making security reports public is quite typical within the tech industry.

Absolutely, it’s true that Intel can gain advantages by pointing out flaws in their competitors, but the positive publicity generated by the report is not the only motive for disclosing the security issues.

Intel has faced challenging times over the last few years. Recently, its previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, retired. Under his leadership, Intel reported a $1.6 billion loss in one quarter and let go of numerous employees. Some even claim that Intel Foundry Services is struggling. To regain consumer confidence, improving security could be beneficial for Intel.

2025-02-12 20:14

Intel’s Security Claims: Fact or Fiction?

Read More