spectre-meltdown-checker is a command-line tool that detects if a system is vulnerable to the Spectre and Meltdown security vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are hardware-related and can affect a wide range of CPUs, including those from Intel, AMD, and ARM.
The tool works by checking for the presence of certain CPU features, system configuration settings, and kernel patches that are necessary to mitigate the vulnerabilities. It also checks for any potential performance impacts caused by the mitigation measures.
Once spectre-meltdown-checker is run, it generates a report detailing the system’s vulnerability status, including which vulnerability types are present, the status of the necessary kernel patches, and any potential performance impacts caused by the mitigations.
The tool is often used by system administrators and security professionals to assess the security status of their systems and to ensure that they are protected against the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.
If you encounter the below error while running the command spectre-meltdown-checker:
spectre-meltdown-checker: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install spectre-meltdown-checker |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install spectre-meltdown-checker |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install spectre-meltdown-checker |
| Fedora | dnf install spectre-meltdown-checker |
spectre-meltdown-checker Command Examples
1. Check the currently running kernel for Spectre or Meltdown:
# sudo spectre-meltdown-checker
2. Check the currently running kernel and show an explanation of the actions to take to mitigate a vulnerability:
# sudo spectre-meltdown-checker --explain
3. Check for specific variants (defaults to all):
# sudo spectre-meltdown-checker --variant 1|2|3|3a|4|l1tf|msbds|mfbds|mlpds|mdsum|taa|mcespc|srbds
4. Display output using a specific output format:
# sudo spectre-meltdown-checker --batch text|json|nrpe|prometheus|short
5. Don’t use the `/sys` interface even if present:
# sudo spectre-meltdown-checker --no-sysfs
6. Check a non-running kernel:
# sudo spectre-meltdown-checker --kernel path/to/kernel_file
In summary, spectre-meltdown-checker is a useful tool for detecting vulnerabilities related to Spectre and Meltdown. It provides a quick and easy way to assess a system’s security status and can help system administrators and security professionals ensure that their systems are protected against these vulnerabilities.