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Intel has pushed out new security patches for the “L1 Terminal Fault” vulnerability that enabled the Spectre and Foreshadow attacks, but some developers are objecting to the new licensing terms that accompanied the patches. When Intel delivered the updates to the various Linux distributions, it included a licensing agreement that stated, “You will not, and will not allow any third party to … publish or provide any software benchmark or comparison test results.”
Prominent open source advocate Bruce Perens blogged, “So, lots of people are interested in the speed penalty incurred in the microcode fixes, and Intel has now attempted to gag anyone who would collect information for reporting about those penalties, through a restriction in their license. Bad move.”
He added, “Silencing free speech by those who would merely publish benchmarks? Bad business. Customers can’t trust your components when you do that.”
