Control Flow Integrity Inspection Avoidance in Semiconductor Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control flow integrity inspection methods incur high processing overhead, making it difficult to maintain device security while reducing processing costs.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor device and method that determines whether an avoidance condition is satisfied based on auxiliary information in a target code block, allowing the inspection of control flow integrity to be avoided in certain cases, thereby reducing processing overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If control flow integrity inspection is performed during program execution to maintain device security, then device security is improved, but processing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice securityVSAvoidprocessing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by performing control flow integrity inspection only on selected code blocks rather than all code blocks. The determination auxiliary information identifies specific code blocks that require inspection, allowing the system to skip inspection for other blocks and thereby reduce processing overhead while maintaining security for critical sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by applying different inspection strategies to different code blocks based on their characteristics. Determination auxiliary information associated with each code block enables the system to apply inspection selectively to specific locations where it is most needed, rather than uniformly across the entire program.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If detailed processing is performed for control flow integrity inspection, then inspection accuracy is improved, but processing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinspection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs detailed inspection processing only for selected code blocks identified through determination auxiliary information, rather than applying detailed processing to all code blocks. This partial application of detailed processing maintains inspection accuracy for critical blocks while improving overall processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11868467B2Semiconductor device, control flow inspection method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and electronic device

Publication Date: 2024.01.09 NEC CORP

AI summary

A semiconductor device (100) includes: a determination unit (110) configured to determine whether an avoidance condition of inspection of control flow integrity is satisfied (e.g., a degree of similarity with a previous input value is in a predetermined range) based on determination auxiliary information, which is at least an input value in a target code block to be executed among a plurality of code blocks in a predetermined program, and an inspection unit (120) configured to avoid inspection of control flow integrity in the target code block when it is determined that the avoidance condition is satisfied.