'Affect Every Device Made In The Last 20-30 Years': Computer Security Flaw

By Stan Bush

DENVER (CBS4)- Apple is scrambling to work-around a massive security flaw in a chip found on almost every device.

Apple on Thursday said all of its computers, iPhones and iPads are affected by the two newly discovered flaws, dubbed Meltdown and Spectre. It said at that time that the Apple Watch isn't impacted by Meltdown, and on Friday added that the smartwatch isn't affected by Spectre, either. Apple TVs, meanwhile, are affected.

The company has made software updates to protect against some of the problem, but not all of it.

The flaws were uncovered in the code of CPUs the computers use. But the problem costs devices speed.

"If you're one of those people who update every year, you're not going to notice the performance you paid for," says Sean Patrick, owner of Denver Mac Repair. "This is big news because it's going to affect every device made in the last 20-30 years."

Apple CPUs are directly connected to their motherboard, making them nearly impossible to extricate and replace. Patrick says the problem won't truly be fixed until the manufacturer can fix the hardware itself. Apple recommended only downloading software from trusted locations like its App Store to avoid software with malware.

On Thursday, Intel, the CPU manufacturer, said that by the end of next week, it expects to have issued updates for more than 90 percent of its processors introduced within the past five years. The updates make computers "immune from both exploits," Intel said.

Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.