Researchers say some commercially available RISC-V processors can be exploited with Spectre attacks to leak protected data, including Linux kernel memory. The paper says out-of-order chips including SiFive P550 and T-Head Xuantie C910/C920 are vulnerable to Spectre-PHT, Spectre-BTB, Spectre-RSB, and Spectre-STL, with a proof of concept leaking kernel memory on the Xuantie C910 at 338 bytes per second. The researchers disclosed the issue in December 2025; three Linux patches are already merged and two more are under review.
Why it matters: Organizations using affected RISC-V systems may have assumed they were safer from Spectre-style speculative-execution attacks than they are. Hardware and platform teams should identify affected processors, review vendor guidance and Linux mitigations, and plan updates because software defenses may vary across the fragmented RISC-V ecosystem.
2026.08.12
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct new story: the first reported proof-of-concept Spectre exploitation on commercial out-of-order RISC-V silicon, affecting specific SiFive and T-Head processor lines and prompting Linux-side mitigations.
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