AMD Advisory: New Transient Scheduler Attacks Affect Broad Range of CPUs

TL;DR

AMD has issued a warning about new Transient Scheduler Attacks (TSA) that exploit speculative side channels in CPUs, potentially leading to information disclosure.

Introduction

Semiconductor giant AMD has recently alerted the industry to a new set of vulnerabilities affecting a wide array of chipsets. These vulnerabilities, known as Transient Scheduler Attacks (TSA), exploit speculative side channels in CPUs. The attacks leverage the timing of instruction execution under specific microarchitectural conditions, potentially leading to unauthorized information disclosure ¹.

Understanding Transient Scheduler Attacks

Transient Scheduler Attacks manifest as speculative side channels within CPUs. These attacks take advantage of the timing variations in instruction execution under particular microarchitectural conditions. In certain scenarios, an attacker could exploit these conditions to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Key Points:

• Speculative Side Channels: These are paths within the CPU that can be exploited to infer data from otherwise secure processes.
• Microarchitectural Conditions: Specific conditions within the CPU’s architecture that enable these attacks.
• Information Disclosure: The primary risk is the unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Impact and Mitigation

The impact of these attacks can be significant, as they affect a broad range of CPUs. AMD has not provided specific details on the affected chipsets but has indicated that the issue is widespread. Mitigation strategies are currently being developed, and users are advised to stay updated with the latest security patches and advisories from AMD.

Steps to Mitigate:

• Update Firmware: Ensure that your system’s firmware is up to date with the latest security patches.
• Monitor Advisories: Keep an eye on official AMD advisories for any new developments or mitigation techniques.
• Security Best Practices: Follow general security best practices to minimize the risk of exploitation.

Conclusion

The discovery of Transient Scheduler Attacks highlights the ongoing challenge of securing modern CPUs. As technology advances, so do the methods used to exploit vulnerabilities. Staying informed and proactive in applying security updates is crucial for protecting against such threats.

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References

1. The Hacker News (2025). “AMD Warns of New Transient Scheduler Attacks Impacting a Wide Range of CPUs”. The Hacker News. Retrieved 2025-07-10. ↩︎