Spectre kernel update crashes hard

[JanCeuleers]

This kernel update crashes my old machine (Intel Core i3-540, H55 chipset) solid on boot. It needs to be powercycled. Selecting the previous kernel (3.13.0-139) in grub revives the machine.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.13.0-141-generic 3.13.0-141.190
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-139.188-generic 3.13.11-ckt39
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-139-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.27
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: frontend 1899 F.... pulseaudio
                      frontend 2223 F.... mythfrontend.re
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D7p: frontend 2223 F...m mythfrontend.re
Date: Tue Jan 23 19:36:39 2018
IwConfig:
 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
MachineType: To Be Filled By O.E.M. To Be Filled By O.E.M.
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-139-generic root=UUID=258c1c48-dd3b-4e07-bc84-bdd38da7699d ro enable_mtrr_cleanup mtrr_spare_reg_nr=1 ipv6.disable=1 splash quiet
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-139-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-139-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.24
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2017-01-29 (359 days ago)
WifiSyslog:

dmi.bios.date: 07/22/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 080015
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.vendor: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr080015:bd07/22/2010:svnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:rvnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:cvnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.