3D rendering of a computer chip
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Hertzbleed, a newly identified attack that could be used to grab information from computer chips, has captured the attention of technology security researchers – and technology news websites. Here’s what you need to know about the story.
What is Hertzbleed?
It is a new computer hack that takes advantage of a power-saving feature common to modern computer chips in order to steal sensitive data. It has been demonstrated in the lab and could be used by hackers in the wild.
Most chips use a technique called dynamic frequency scaling, or CPU throttling, to increase or reduce the speed with which they carry out instructions. Ramping the power of the CPU up and down to match demand makes them more efficient.
In the past, hackers have shown that they can read these power signatures and learn things about the data being processed.
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