Meltdown (the security vulnerability)

Meltdown is a security vulnerability in some computer processors that allows malicious programs to access sensitive data, like passwords or encryption keys, stored in a computer’s memory. It exploits how modern processors optimize performance by separating tasks, but this separation can be bypassed via Meltdown, revealing confidential information. Essentially, it lets an attacker peek into protected data that should be inaccessible, posing significant security risks. Patches and updates have been developed to mitigate this vulnerability, but it highlights how hardware design can sometimes unintentionally expose sensitive information.