This article provides updated information to our blog post titled "Decyphering the Noise Around 'Meltdown' and 'Spectre'."
Recent updates to this article
| Date |
Update |
| February 6, 2019 |
Updated Advanced Threat Defense Appliance information. Updated article to note that testing is complete. |
| January 4, 2019 |
Removed GTI Proxy Appliance from the "Appliance Compatibility for McAfee Products" list. |
| September 6, 2018 |
Updated the "Appliance Compatibility for McAfee Products" list to include Web Gateway 7.7.2.
Changed all "patch" references to "update."
NOTE: McAfee updates were previously referred to as patches. |
| June 4, 2018 |
Updated the following note:
NOTE: Microsoft no longer performs AV compatibility checks for supported Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 SP 1 devices. But, McAfee will continue to set this registry key to ensure compatibility for other devices. For more information, see the following Microsoft article: Important: Windows security updates and antivirus software.
Updated the "Appliance Compatibility for McAfee Products" list to include McAfee Active Response (MAR) Server 2.2.0 Hotfix 4 and Threat Intelligence Exchange (TIE) Server 2.1.1 Hotfix 3. |
| April 11, 2018 |
Updated the "Appliance Compatibility for McAfee Products" list to include Advanced Threat Defense 4.0.6 and 4.2.2. |
McAfee has completed testing to ensure product compatibility with operating system patches related to “Spectre” and “Meltdown.” This document contains the status of our testing.
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For more information about the “Spectre” and “Meltdown” attack methods, see our blog “Decyphering the Noise Around ‘Meltdown’ and ‘Spectre’”:
https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/decyphering-the-noise-around-meltdown-and-spectre/.
Windows product compatibility for McAfee products
Microsoft has requested security vendors to perform additional testing with their January 3 update, to ensure compatibility with that update.
Microsoft introduced a new registry key with this update to control if the update is available through the Windows Update service.
Automated mechanism to deploy the registry key update
Starting with the January 10th DAT (3221.0) updates for Endpoint Security (ENS) 10.0.2 and later, the registry key will be automatically updated for customers.
NOTE: Safety Pulse, which is enabled by default, must be enabled to download ENS DAT 3221.0.
Starting with the January 12th DAT (8772), customers who use VirusScan Enterprise (VSE) 8.8 and receive DAT updates will have the registry key automatically updated.
The DAT adds the check for the registry key, and sets it if it is not present. Customers who have already set a registry key will not have any issues.
For customers using ENS 10.0.1 or earlier, see
KB90180 - How to deploy the required registry key via automated executable.
NOTE: Microsoft no longer performs AV compatibility checks for supported Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 SP 1 devices. But, McAfee will continue to set this registry key to ensure compatibility for other devices. For more information, see the following Microsoft article:
Important: Windows security updates and antivirus software.
Manual methods to deploy the registry key update
To receive patches through Windows Update, customers are advised to create the following new registry key:
RegKey="HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\QualityCompat"
Value Name ="cadca5fe-87d3-4b96-b7fb-a231484277cc"
Type="REG_DWORD"
Data="0x00000000"
In environments with Active Directory, this key can be deployed through GPO. Instructions on how to deploy through GPO are available at:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753092%28v=ws.11%29.aspx
Customers who are not using Windows Update can directly download and apply the Windows Update from the Windows Update Catalog at:
support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/323166/how-to-download-updates-that-include-drivers-and-hotfixes-from-the-win.
NOTE: When downloading Windows updates, Windows 7 operating systems must be updated to SP1 for pulling updates from Microsoft Windows Update.
The following products have been tested and are confirmed as compatible:
Testing is complete for all McAfee products and no compatibility issues with the Microsoft update have been found.
- Application and Change Control 6.1.0 and later
- AV Engine 5900 and later
- Data Exchange Layer 3.0.0 and later
- Data Loss Prevention 9.3 and later*
- Database Activity Monitor/Sensor 4.6 and later
- Drive Encryption 7.1 and later
- ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) 5.1 and later
- ePO MER 3.1 and later
- ePO MVT 8.2 and later
- Endpoint Intelligence Agent 2.6.2 and later
- Endpoint Security 10.2 and later
- File and Removable Media Protection 4.3.1 and later
- Host Intrusion Prevention System 8.0 Update 4 and later
- McAfee Active Response 1.1 and later
- McAfee Agent 4.8 and later
- McAfee Client Proxy 1.2 and later
- MOVE Antivirus Multi-Platform 3.6 and later
- Management of Native Encryption 4.0 and later
- Network Security Manager 8.1 and later
- Policy Auditor for Windows 6.2.0 and later
- Rogue System Detection 5.0.5 and later
- SaaS Endpoint 6.0.3 and later
- Security for Domino Windows 7.5.3 and later
- Security for Microsoft Exchange 8.0 and later
- Security for Microsoft Sharepoint 3.0 and later
- SiteAdvisor Enterprise 3.5 Update 3 and later
- System Information Reporter 1.0 and later
- Threat Intelligence Exchange Client for VSE 1.0.2 and later
- VirusScan Enterprise 8.7 Update 5, 8.8 General Availability and later
- VirusScan Enterprise for Storage 1.2 and later
*See KB90179 for information about an intermittent issue where Microsoft patches fail to install on Windows 7 systems protected by Data Loss Prevention Endpoint 11.0.130 or 10.0.330.
Linux and macOS compatibility for McAfee products:
Testing is complete for Linux and macOS-based products. No issues have been found.
- Application and Change Control 6.1.7.771
- Data Loss Prevention for Mac 11.0.2.5, 11.0.0.85, 10.0.0.123
- Endpoint Security for Linux 10.2.2
- Endpoint Security for Mac 10.2.3
- Endpoint Protection for Mac 2.3
- File and Removable Media Protection for Mac 5.0.5
- Host Intrusion Prevention for Linux 8.0 Update 11 and later
- Management of Native Encryption for Mac 4.1.3
- McAfee Active Response for Linux 2.0.1.171, 1.1.0.282, 2.2.0.255, 2.0.1.165
- McAfee Active Response for Mac 2.2.0.255
- McAfee Agent 4.8 and later
- McAfee Linux Firewall 8.0.3
- Policy Auditor for Linux 6.3.0.195, 6.2.2.146, 6.2.0.322
- VirusScan Enterprise for Linux 2.0.3, 1.9.2
Cloud services for McAfee and Skyhigh products:
McAfee and Skyhigh worked with vendors on patching and ensuring compliance in our cloud services infrastructure. No issues have been found.
Appliance compatibility for McAfee products:
Testing on McAfee appliance-based products is complete.
- Advanced Threat Defense (ATD) - The following releases updated the MLOS kernel to address these vulnerabilities.
These updates are included in all subsequent ATD releases. This fix is implemented in software and microcode because both components are required.
While the microcode component could be resolved using a BIOS update, engineering chose to implement them via a software update.
- ATD 4.0.6 - For Release Notes, see PD27544.
- ATD 4.2.2 - For Release Notes, see PD27545.
- Data Exchange Layer (DXL) - The following DXL hotfixes provide security fixes for vulnerabilities related to Meltdown:
- DXL 4.0.0 Hotfix 3
- DXL 3.0.0 Hotfix 10
- DXL 3.0.1 Hotfix 8
- DXL 3.1.0 Hotfix 11
- DXL 2.2.0 Hotfix 8
- McAfee Active Response (MAR) Server 2.2.0 Hotfix 4. See SB10226 for reference.
- MOVE Antivirus Agentless 4.5.1
- Network Data Loss Prevention - The following releases provide kernel updates to address the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities:
- 11.0.201 - For Release Notes, see PD27537.
- 10.0.301 - For Release Notes, see PD27538.
- Network Security Manager Linux Appliance 9.1.7.49
- SIEM - SIEM is a closed system. Unprivileged local users are not able to execute arbitrary code. Nevertheless, SIEM expects to address this vulnerability in a future version update. See SB10226 for reference.
- Threat Intelligence Exchange (TIE) Server 2.1.1 Hotfix 3. See SB10226 for reference.
- Vulnerability Manager 7.5.12
- Web Gateway 7.x - The following releases provide kernel updates to address the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities:
- Web Gateway 7.8.1 - For a list of resolved issues, see the Release Notes (PD27506).
- Web Gateway 7.7.2 - For a list of resolved issues, see the Release Notes (PD27714).
