AMD Zen 6 Hardware Isolation Tames Branch Predictions in Linux Kernel

AMD Zen 6 Hardware Isolation Tames Branch Predictions in Linux Kernel

A new Linux kernel patch reveals AMD Zen 6 hardware that isolates Branch Target Buffer entries across user/kernel and guest/host contexts. The change makes SafeRET unnecessary for kernel returns while preserving Spectre v2 protections for same-privilege attacks. This reduces software overhead on future AMD processors.