Metadata Encoding for Malicious Code Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer security systems are inadequate in preventing malicious code execution due to the intermingling of data and executable instructions in memory, allowing attackers to inject code by disguising it as data, and existing security measures often fail to prevent attacks until suspicious patterns emerge, leading to delayed detection and damage.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize metadata processing to enforce security policies by mapping application memory addresses to metadata memory addresses, allowing the system to tag and check instructions and data for compliance with security policies, preventing malicious code execution by separating application data from metadata and using a tag map table to associate metadata with application data, ensuring that only authorized instructions are executed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data and executable instructions are intermingled in memory, then memory utilization is efficient, but security is compromised allowing malicious code injection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory into distinct regions: application memory for data and instructions, and metadata memory for security metadata. This segmentation prevents attackers from injecting malicious code into application memory by disguising it as data, while maintaining efficient memory utilization through dedicated regions for different purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary layer between application memory and the security checking mechanism. Metadata associated with each memory address provides security information that enables the system to verify instructions before execution, preventing malicious code injection while maintaining efficient memory access.
2Use of energy by moving object
If security monitoring is performed after suspicious patterns emerge, then resource consumption is low, but damage control is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary security checking by verifying metadata associated with instructions before they are executed. This preliminary action prevents malicious code from being executed in the first place, eliminating the need for continuous post-execution monitoring and reducing both resource consumption and detection time.
Solution Approach 2:
The security system checks metadata automatically as part of the normal instruction execution flow, without requiring separate monitoring resources. The metadata itself provides the security information needed, allowing the system to self-verify instructions efficiently without additional overhead.
3Reliability
If metadata memory is separated from application memory, then security is enhanced, but memory access complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the application memory and metadata memory into a unified memory structure where each application memory address has an associated metadata address. This merging simplifies access by allowing the system to retrieve both data and its security metadata in a coordinated manner, enhancing security while maintaining access simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for metadata processing. In some embodiments, a target address may be received from a host processor. The target address may be used to access mapping information and decoding information, the mapping information and the decoding information being associated with the target address. The mapping information may be used to map the target address to a metadata address. The metadata address may be used to retrieve metadata, and the decoding information may be used to decode the retrieved metadata.