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AMD's random number generator can't generate a 0?

288 points · 220 comments · BruceEel

  1. zir_blazer · · focus · HN ↗
    Not sure if this finding is new, but the author from FASM Thread apparently has a Zen 2 (He doesn't directly mention anything besides "Ryzen 7", some other poster mentions it is a 4800HS). There were a number of articles about RDRAND being broken on Zen 2 and earlier generations but fixed via Microcode from about 6 years ago:

    <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.phoronix.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;AMD-Releases-Linux-Zen2-Fix" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.phoronix.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;AMD-Releases-Linux-Zen2-Fix

    <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;gadgets&#x2F;2019&#x2F;10&#x2F;how-a-months-old-amd-microcode-bug-destroyed-my-weekend&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;gadgets&#x2F;2019&#x2F;10&#x2F;how-a-months-old-amd...

    No idea what happened after. And that also means that you suddently need information about user systems BIOS&#x2F;Microcode.

    1. rurban · · focus · HN ↗
      Here are dieharder results from zen 2 (with slow rdseed, unpatched) for rdrand. Totally broken also.

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;rurban.github.io&#x2F;dieharder&#x2F;QUALITY.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;rurban.github.io&#x2F;dieharder&#x2F;QUALITY.html

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