Metadata Segregation for Malicious Code Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer architectures, where data and executable instructions are intermingled in memory, allow attackers to inject malicious code by disguising it as data, leading to vulnerabilities that existing security measures struggle to prevent or detect in a timely manner.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where metadata is associated with application data to enforce security policies, using a tag processing hardware and policy processor to check instructions for compliance, ensuring that even if malicious code is injected into the application memory, the metadata memory remains unaffected, and appropriate policies are enforced to prevent execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If data and executable instructions are intermingled in memory, then memory utilization is improved, but security vulnerability increases allowing malicious code injection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory into distinct regions: application memory for storing executable instructions and data memory for storing data. This spatial segmentation prevents malicious code injection by ensuring that data cannot be disguised as executable instructions, as they reside in separate memory spaces with different access permissions and validation mechanisms.
2Reliability
If security policies are enforced on all data, then security protection is improved, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by applying security policies selectively based on data location and type. Different security enforcement mechanisms are applied to different memory regions: application memory receives instruction validation, while data memory receives data access control. This targeted approach provides comprehensive security protection without uniformly processing all data, thereby reducing overall processing overhead.
3Reliability
If metadata processing is performed across system boundaries, then data lifecycle protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary mechanism that travels with data across system boundaries. Metadata contains security policy information, data classification, and access control rules. When data is transferred between systems or memory regions, the metadata is processed by policy enforcement units that apply the appropriate security rules without requiring complex inter-system coordination, thus protecting the data lifecycle while managing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for metadata processing. The method comprises acts of associating, in a first system, metadata with application data processed by a host processor, wherein the application data is protected within the first system by one or more first policies using the metadata, and transferring the application data and its associated metadata to a second system in which the application data is unprotected using metadata processing or is protected by one or more second policies different from the one or more first policies.