PEM file opened without DIRECT I/O which makes private key readable by attacker exploiting MELTDOWN

[Philipp Marek]

> I think we are possibly interested in switching to DIRECT IO (given 
> that it
> bypasses any caching system including page cache) when reading *.PEM 
> file
Sorry, but this makes no sense.
The data could just as well be read from the SSH process
memory space.

Direct IO has some additional complexity; this may well
be avoided.


It makes *zero* sense to panic now and start "hardening"
[which direct IO wouldn't even be!] individual programs -
if separate memory spaces are not available,
    "all hope is lost".