Strange. Windows Defender Smart Screen labeled it as unsafe on my desktop but not on my laptop.
Edit note: Need more coffee. I was using Microsoft Edge on the desktop. No problem with Pale Moon.
Same thing, but Firefox rather than Pale Moon.
Not surprised about SmartScreen (in IE/Edge)... it's notorious for intercepting new/"unknown" programs.
And I had two different experiences - the first wouldn't let me override and download it (no option provided at all). Attempted download again and a different experience allowing me to override, followed by Windows Defender picking it off as unsafe during its check (Edge calling WD for a "security scan"). Suppose these are great experiences if the file is truly malware; crazy experiences if it's not.
Solving it through the purchase of a bunch of ESET licenses.
InSpectre Release History
Release #1 — Initial release:
The first release was triggering false-positive warnings from 3rd-party anti-virus scanners. This was probably due to a registry key the application uses to enable/disable the Meltdown and Spectre protections. Also, the language used in one of the text-explainers was confusing and self-contradictory.
Release #2 — Second try:
This second release hides its use of the registry key that was upsetting so many anti-virus scanners. A pass through Virus Total shows that made a huge difference. And that confusing paragraph was rewritten into two, which are now presented more correctly. Let's see how this second try fares.
Wonder which AV programs those were. If they picked it up before, and don't pick it up now that the registry key use is "hid[den]", sounds like an AV fail. You'd think/hope the AV would see through the "hides" part.
Any noticeable performance hit will be limited to a few relatively unusual (for most 'ordinary' users) workflow types, and then often only on those PCs utilising eg. high-end NVME drives; take claims like that with a pinch of salt and insert the word 'potential' in there.
I mine cryptocurrency, but I don't have a fix yet for those systems to see if there's a major hit or not.