Hardware Policy Enforcement for Tagged Instruction Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security measures fail to prevent malicious code execution by intermingling data and executable instructions in computer memory, allowing attackers to inject and execute harmful code, and existing security software only reacts after damage is done.
Innovation Solution
Implementing tag processing hardware that enforces security policies by associating application data with metadata in separate or protected memory, using FPGAs and logic circuits to check instructions at hardware speed, and a policy processor to evaluate compliance with predefined policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If data and executable instructions are intermingled in computer memory, then memory usage is efficient and simple, but security is compromised allowing malicious code injection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory into separate data memory and executable instruction memory spaces. This segmentation prevents malicious code from injecting into legitimate applications by creating distinct memory regions, while still allowing efficient memory usage through proper allocation management. The tag processing hardware enforces this segmentation to maintain security without sacrificing memory efficiency.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If security software monitors activities and looks for attack patterns, then detection capability is improved, but response time is delayed until damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by using tag processing hardware to check instructions against security policies before execution occurs. The system pre-establishes security tags and policies, then automatically verifies each instruction against these pre-defined rules in real-time, preventing malicious code execution before it can cause damage rather than detecting attacks after they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional software-based security monitoring with hardware-based tag processing circuits. This substitution enables real-time instruction verification at hardware speed, eliminating the delays inherent in software-based detection systems. The hardware tags and policies are enforced through dedicated logic circuits that operate concurrently with instruction execution, providing immediate prevention rather than post-event detection.
3Speed
If hardware-based tag processing is implemented, then security enforcement speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing tag processing hardware that can enforce multiple security policies simultaneously. The same hardware infrastructure handles different instruction types, memory access patterns, and security rules through a unified tag verification mechanism. This multi-functional approach enables high-speed security enforcement without proportionally increasing complexity, as the hardware serves multiple security functions through a single integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for enforcing one or more policies that are encoded as programmable hardware functions. In some embodiments, tag processing hardware may receive information relating to one or more instructions executed by a host system. The information may be used to construct an input pattern, which may be processed, in hardware, to obtain at least one indicator. The tag processing hardware may then determine whether the at least one indicator matches at least one parameter that is selected based on one or more policies being enforced by the tag processing hardware. In response to determining that the at least one indicator does not match the at least one parameter, the tag processing hardware may send a signal to the host system to indicate a violation of the one or more policies.