Intel Graphics’ security measures have been reportedly affecting performance, but changes are on the horizon for Ubuntu users. Intel and Canonical are collaborating to remove certain GPU security mitigations, which could boost Intel graphics performance by up to 20%.
The background involves the detection of security vulnerabilities like Spectre and Meltdown, which led Intel to introduce several security updates to protect CPUs. Although attacks specifically targeting Intel’s integrated GPUs (iGPUs) haven’t been reported, similar protections were extended to the graphics stack, resulting in performance declines, as highlighted by Canonical, the team behind Ubuntu.
The anticipated performance enhancement comes from the planned removal of these mitigations, expected in Ubuntu’s version 25.10. Canonical has reported the issue, noting that the security measures aren’t essential for the graphics stack. Disabling them through the NEO_DISABLE_MITIGATIONS build should achieve the desired performance boost without compromising safety.
This decision follows discussions between Intel and Canonical’s security experts, concluding that Spectre no longer requires mitigation at the Compute Runtime level for GPUs. They’re confident that security is already reinforced at the kernel level, and additional warnings in the Compute Runtime build will inform those using modified kernels.
While there’s always a risk of new vulnerabilities emerging, Intel and Canonical have thoroughly reviewed and approved these changes, offering assurance to users and developers alike. This collaboration effectively encourages the use of Ubuntu without the previous security mitigations, paving the way for enhanced performance and a seamless experience with Intel graphics.
