Two New AMD Mobile Chips Launched

to_kallon writes "Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has unleashed two new mobile microprocessors today. One processor belongs to the company's 64-bit Mobile Athlon64 line while the other one comes from the 32-bit Athlon XP-M product line. According to CNET News: 'Like other Athlon 64 chips, and Intel's Prescott, the new Athlon 64 3400+ will block many security threats automatically in conjunction with Windows XP Service Pack 2. The delayed SP2 is slated to come out in August. The Athlon 64 3400+ will also run a 64-bit version of Windows, due now at the end of the year.It runs at 2.2GHz and comes with 1MB of cache. Gamer-PC maker Alienware will insert the chip in a notebook later in the month. Meanwhile, the Athlon XP-M 2200+ comes from the company's older line of chips. It runs at 1.6GHz and is built around an older processor core and comes with a 512KB cache. Averatec, a small computer manufacturer, has put the chip into a notebook that can convert into a tablet PC, marking the first time AMD's chips have been used in a tablet'."

Comments

Re:Work with XP SP2

[mapmaker]

I don't want a freaking CPU that knows it's running WindowsXP SP2

It doesn't, it's the other way around - this CPU has a feature (NX bit) that WinXP will be aware of as of SP2.

Re:Work with XP SP2

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't worry the proc has no idea what OS is running. Its just that it supports a noexec instruction which lets you mark areas of memory as data vs. code, this makes the buffer overflow attact a little harder because the chip won't do instructions in an area that is flagged data(where the array you are exploiting would be). SP2 will give the windows OS the ability to support performing that instruction in some instances and therfore enchance security. I have already heard noises of implementing this in Linux and *BSD. Its complex from a software stand point to make really effective use of as you have to be able to predict the future to some degree but its probably a good security tool noone the less and could be extreemly benificial in many cases.

And intel's reply:

[silverfuck]

Intel has 'unleashed' new low voltage and 'ultra low voltage' Centrinos and Celerons.

*shakes head*

[Flower]

The processor comes with a "no exec" op code that an operating system can use to enhance security. OpenBSD or Linux could use this just as readily as XP. As a matter of fact OBSD already does iirc and MS isn't doing anything truely original on this platform (yes, I'm aware other processors and OSes have offered this for years.)

Re:Kudos to Hardware Engineers

[FooAtWFU]

The trick is basically a permissions system for memory. If the memory isn't in a certain range, you can't (write to|execute) it. This keeps you from executing your data section, or writing over your code. This prevents buffer overflows from being exploted with the "arbitraty code injection" that you hear so much about.

But it doesn't prevent the overflow, just the injection. This leaves your program free to (behave poorly|crash).