To address the Spectre vulnerability (CVE-2017-5753 and CVE-2017-5715) on a Linux system, you will need to perform the following steps:
Install the latest updates for your operating system and any installed applications. Many Linux distributions have released updates that include fixes for the Spectre vulnerability. These updates may include patches to the operating system kernel and other components.
Enable support for CPU mitigations. Most modern CPUs include hardware-based mitigations for the Spectre vulnerability. To enable these mitigations, you may need to update your Linux kernel and the microcode of your CPU. This can usually be done by installing the latest kernel updates and microcode updates provided by your Linux distribution.
Configure your system to use the Retpoline compiler mitigation. Retpoline is a software-based mitigation that can help protect against the Spectre vulnerability. To use Retpoline, you will need to update your GCC compiler to version 7.3 or later and rebuild any applications that were compiled with an older version of GCC.
Use an application-level mitigation such as "Performance-Impact-Minimal (PIM) mode" or "Speculative Store Bypass Disable (SSBD)". These mitigations can help protect against the Spectre vulnerability at the application level, but may also have a performance impact.
It's important to note that fully addressing the Spectre vulnerability may require a combination of these steps and may also involve updates to your system's firmware. It is also recommended to consult with your Linux distribution's documentation or support resources for specific instructions on how to address the Spectre vulnerability on your system.