[Bug 1700373] Re: intel-microcode should be updated for LTS releases, version 20170511 fixes severe errata on 6th and 7th generation platforms

[Robie Basak]

@Eugene San

We're updating non-LTS releases too. For example a Zesty SRU is in
progress.

** Summary changed:

- intel-microcode should be updated for LTS releases, version 20170511 fixes severe errata on 6th and 7th generation platforms
+ intel-microcode is out of date, version 20170511 fixes severe errata on 6th and 7th generation platforms

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Title:
  intel-microcode is out of date, version 20170511 fixes errata on 6th
  and 7th generation platforms

Status in intel-microcode package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in intel-microcode source package in Trusty:
  Confirmed
Status in intel-microcode source package in Xenial:
  Confirmed
Status in intel-microcode source package in Yakkety:
  Confirmed
Status in intel-microcode source package in Zesty:
  Fix Committed
Status in intel-microcode source package in Artful:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [Impact]

  * A security fix has been made available as part of intel-microcode
  * It is advisable to apply it
  * Thus an SRU of the latest intel-microcode is desirable for all stable releases

  [Test Case]

  * Upgrade intel-microcode package, if it is already installed / one is
  running on Intel CPUs

  * Reboot and verify no averse results, and/or that microcode for your
  cpu was loaded by expecting

  [Test case reporting]
  * Please paste the output of:

  dpkg-query -W intel-microcode
  grep -E 'model|stepping' /proc/cpuinfo | sort -u
  journalctl -k | grep microcode

  [Regression Potential]
  Microcode are proprietary blobs, and can cause any number of new errors and regressions. Microcode bugs have been reported before, therefore longer than usual phasing and monitoring of intel-microcode bugs should be done with extra care.

  [Original bug report]

  NB: I am *not* directly affected by this bug.

  Henrique emailed a warning to Debian devel today [1] on a potentially
  serious issue with (sky|kaby)lake processors. Excerpt:

  "This warning advisory is relevant for users of systems with the Intel
  processors code-named "Skylake" and "Kaby Lake".  These are: the 6th and
  7th generation Intel Core processors (desktop, embedded, mobile and
  HEDT), their related server processors (such as Xeon v5 and Xeon v6), as
  well as select Intel Pentium processor models.

  TL;DR: unfixed Skylake and Kaby Lake processors could, in some
  situations, dangerously misbehave when hyper-threading is enabled.
  Disable hyper-threading immediately in BIOS/UEFI to work around the
  problem.  Read this advisory for instructions about an Intel-provided
  fix."

  It is probably a good idea to:
  (1) issue a warning to our users about this;
  (2) update intel-microcode on all our supported releases

  I leave the discussion on whether this can have security implications
  to others.

  [1] https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2017/06/msg00308.html

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.04
  Package: intel-microcode 3.20161104.1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.10.0-24.28-generic 4.10.15
  Uname: Linux 4.10.0-24-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.4-0ubuntu4.1
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity:Unity7
  Date: Sun Jun 25 10:14:19 2017
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-05-26 (30 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.04 "Zesty Zapus" - Release amd64 (20170412)
  SourcePackage: intel-microcode
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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