Microsoft responded to this issue by releasing a security update for Windows 10, which should’ve automatically gone live on your computers at 3 AM today. The update will automatically install on older versions of Windows 10 as well as Windows 7 and 8.
However, for Windows 7 and 8, the fix will be available next Tuesday.
Even though Microsoft has released a timely update for this, it also requires firmware updates from Intel and other vendors. Some of the anti-virus software will also require updates to work properly, as the fix fiddles with Kernel-level access.
Will Slow Your PC
What the update does is that it separates Kernel memory from user processes in what’s called “Kernel Page Table Isolation”.
As you may or may not have read yesterday, the update will slow your PC down by quite a lot. Systems that have an Intel Skylake processor or newer won’t be affected much. Older Intel processors might face significant performance hits. in either case, expect a 17% to 23% reduction in your PC’s performance.