Host Memory Interface for Access Violation Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing memory systems lack effective protection against illegal or unauthorized commands, which can corrupt secured data and expose sensitive information to unauthorized access, particularly in portable electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
A host processor is operatively coupled with a security processor and memory in a series connection, featuring a host memory interface that monitors commands for validity and authentication, preventing illegal commands from executing and ensuring only authorized access to memory partitions through encryption and decryption of data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a security processor and host memory interface are added to monitor and validate commands, then data security and protection against illegal commands is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A host memory interface is introduced as an intermediary component between the host processor and memory. This interface monitors all commands before they reach the memory, validating command legality and authentication status. The intermediary blocks illegal commands at the interface level, preventing them from executing in the memory while allowing legitimate commands to pass through, thus achieving security without requiring complex changes to the core memory structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory system is segmented into distinct functional components: the host processor, the host memory interface (with security monitoring capabilities), and the memory itself. This segmentation allows the security functions to be isolated in a dedicated interface layer, enabling independent design and optimization of security mechanisms without complicating the entire system. The interface layer handles authentication and command validation separately from memory operations.
2Reliability
If command monitoring and authentication validation are implemented, then unauthorized access to memory partitions is prevented, but processing speed decreases due to additional validation steps
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication and command validity are validated in advance before commands reach the memory. The host memory interface performs preliminary checks to ensure commands are legitimate and authenticated before allowing them to execute. This preliminary action prevents unauthorized access attempts from reaching the memory, reducing the need for complex validation during memory operations and maintaining processing speed for authorized commands.
Solution Approach 2:
The host memory interface autonomously performs command validation and authentication checks without requiring continuous intervention from the host processor or memory controller. The interface self-manages the security functions, making rapid decisions about command acceptance or rejection based on pre-established authentication mechanisms, thereby minimizing processing delays while maintaining strong access control.
3Reliability
If illegal commands are blocked and replacement data is sent to memory locations, then data integrity is maintained, but system response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
When an illegal command is detected, the system responds by sending replacement data to the targeted memory location. This approach converts the harmful effect of the illegal command into a beneficial action by actively writing protective or neutral data to the location, thereby maintaining data integrity while providing a deterministic response. The replacement data ensures that even if the illegal command attempts to corrupt the location, the intended data remains preserved or is restored.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares replacement data in advance or generates it rapidly upon detecting an illegal command, ensuring that data integrity is maintained without significant delay. By having the mechanism to restore or protect data ready before the actual corruption can occur, the system minimizes the impact of illegal commands on overall system response time while ensuring data safety.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods that facilitate processing data and securing data written to or read from memory. A processor can include a host memory interface that monitors all bus traffic between a host processor and memory. The host memory interface can analyze commands generated by the host processor and determine the validity of the commands. Valid commands can proceed for further analysis; invalid commands can be aborted, for example, with the host memory interface and memory each set to an idle state. The host memory interface can analyze authentication information obtained via an authentication component, and information regarding memory partition rights, to determine whether a command partition violation exists as to the command. If a violation exists, the host memory interface can prevent the improper command from executing in the memory, and can cause a different operation to occur thereby allowing the memory to be placed in a known state.