Intel CPUs Face Spectre-Like 'Indirector' Attack That Leaks Data

UCSD researchers disclosed "Indirector," a Spectre-like speculative-execution side-channel attack that abuses the Indirect Branch Predictor (IBP) and Branch Target Buffer in modern Intel CPUs (including Skylake, Alder Lake, and Raptor Lake). The technique can poison prediction structures to redirect control flow and potentially leak sensitive data; Intel has not issued a microcode fix and recommends relying on IBPB mitigations that impose significant performance overhead.