Microsoft has released updates for Windows to block attempts by hackers and malware to exploit the Meltdown vulnerability in Intel x86-64 processors – but you will want to check your antivirus software before applying the fixes.

The Redmond giant issued the out-of-band update late yesterday for Windows 10 version 1709.

While the documentation for the fix does not name Chipzilla’s CPU-level vulnerability specifically, a Microsoft spokesman told El Reg it will hopefully protect Windows users from Meltdown exploits, and more patches are in the works. Meltdown is a design flaw in Intel’s processors going back at least 2011 that allows normal user programs to read passwords, keys and other secrets from the operating system’s protected kernel memory area. To prevent this from happening, the kernel has to be moved into a separate virtual address space from user processes.

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