Skip to main content

Nvidia has licensed Rambus technology to help identify new attack vulnerabilities

Nvidia
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Security will likely always remain a serious problem in computing. As long as we use technology to manage our lives, there will be those who want to exploit the devices we use for a range of nefarious purposes.

Some of the attack vectors are obvious, such as the PCs, servers, and cloud services we increasingly rely on in our personal and professional lives. But we’re also dramatically increasing our use of other, less obvious tools like internet of things (IoT) devices and graphical processing units (GPUs) that we might not even consider when looking at our security footprint.

Today, a deal between Rambus and Nvidia to license the former’s security countermeasures is an example of how companies are working to keep these more hidden vulnerabilities protected, as Tom’s Hardware reports.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

Related: DDoS attack on DNS servers causes major Internet blackout

The specific Rambus technology that has been licensed demonstrates just how complicated locking down a system can be. Nvidia GPUs are particularly good at things like artificial intelligence and other technologies where highly-efficient GPUs provide better performance than general purpose CPUs. Their increasing use in these sorts of systems increases the importance of making sure that they’re protected from more than just the obvious software exploits.

For example, electronic devices like GPUs offer up a number of “side-channels,” such as power consumption, that can be exploited by being measured, analyzed, and used to steal encryption keys. In response, Rambus developed Differential Power Analysis Workstations (DPAWS) to enable “an integrated suite of hardware and data visualization software to aid in the identification and understanding of vulnerabilities in cryptographic chips.”

In other words, licensing DPAWS will allow Nvidia to ensure that they can identify where their GPUs are leaking information that can be used to access systems and steal information. DPAWS will therefore serve as part of overall systems aimed at ensuring that Nvidia GPUs can avoid being an unseen vector for attack.

Neither company provided specific details on when the technology would be integrated into Nvidia’s product line. Nevertheless, it’s good news for Nvidia customers that the company is taking steps to avoid the kind of attacks that led to the IoT-led DDoS attack that resulted in a large-scale internet meltdown last week.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Coppock
Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for…
Nvidia has brought out two new media streamers, the Shield TV and Shield TV Pro
Nvidia Shield TV and Shield TV Pro

Recent glitches on Amazon and NewEgg gave away most of the surprise factor, but now we know for sure: Nvidia has just refreshed its Shield TV lineup with two new models: The Shield TV and Shield TV Pro. The updated models have Dolby Vision, a faster processor, and an all-new remote control, starting at $150.

The $150 Nvidia Shield TV features an unusual cylindrical shape with ports at both ends. Nvidia claims the design was chosen as a compromise of sorts: It's small enough to be tucked away if you don't want to see it, but it doesn't use the typical dongle format of some other small media streamers as this would impact the quality of its wireless networking. It supports Dolby Vision, something that was lacking from previous versions of the product. The new, smaller form factor ditches the two USB 3.0 ports from the 2017 model but adds a MicroSD card slot. Nvidia believes that this model will appeal more to those who simply want a really good streaming experience, so some features (like the USB ports) were removed to achieve a lower price. At $150, the new Shield TV is $30 less expensive than the lowest-priced Apple TV 4K.

Read more
An Nvidia vulnerability has been found. It’s time to update your drivers
nvidia rtx 2080 super review mem4

Just this month, Nvidia posted a security bulletin on its site alerting consumers that GPUs in its GeForce, Quadro, and Tesla product lines were all affected by serious vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities range in severity, but get as dangerous as local code execution and privilege escalation, and can be found in all versions of numerous driver tracks that the company provides for its hardware.

Notably, this includes the R430 line that powers the GeForce GPUs. While Nvidia has since issued new patched versions of all of its GeForce and many of its Quadro drivers, patches for some of its Quadro and Tesla drivers have not been released, and in some cases won't be ready for two weeks.

Read more
PC airflow guide: How to position your fans for best cooling
Exhaust fan in PC case.

Fan placement is an important component in your system's cooling. The quantity, positioning, and orientation of fans affects overall system performance, noise levels, and how often you need to clean your whole system out. Although you aren't going to see a dramatic difference in your PC's performance from adding one more fan, or making sure they're pushing instead of pulling (or vice versa), it's still useful to optimize this part of your PC's cooling to get the best experience for you, the PC user.

So, whether you're looking to boost your system's cooling to improve your overclock, or want to keep your fan speeds as low as possible without overheating, here's a guide to PC airflow, as well as some suggestions on fan placement and position that you might find useful.
Get the basics down

Read more