Spectre (the security vulnerability)

Spectre is a security vulnerability that exploits the way modern processors predict and execute instructions to improve performance. Attackers can trick these processors into revealing sensitive information, like passwords or encryption keys, by causing them to process data in unintended ways. Essentially, Spectre manipulates the processor's guesses and optimizations to access protected memory, bypassing normal security measures. While it does not directly steal data, it creates a loophole that attackers can use to extract information from a computer’s memory, highlighting challenges in balancing high-performance computing with security safeguards.