Prioritized Address Decoder for Secure Data Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing memory controllers in computer systems face issues with data routing due to overlapping address ranges, allowing non-trusted agents to potentially access secured data intended for trusted agents, which can be exploited by malicious software.
Innovation Solution
A prioritized address decoder is introduced, where address comparators are arranged to prioritize trusted agents over non-trusted agents, ensuring that data is routed only to trusted devices by disabling comparators for non-trusted agents when the destination address falls within a trusted agent's range, preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If address comparators are arranged in parallel to decode destination addresses, then data routing speed is improved, but data security deteriorates because non-trusted agents can access secured data through overlapping address ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The address decoder is segmented into multiple priority levels, with trusted agents assigned higher priorities than non-trusted agents. Each address comparator is associated with a specific priority level, allowing the system to maintain parallel processing while enforcing security through hierarchical segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary priority checking before address matching. By evaluating the priority level of each agent first, the system can pre-determine which address comparators should be active, preventing non-trusted agents from accessing secured data before the address comparison even occurs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If address ranges of devices are allowed to overlap for flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but data security deteriorates because secured data can be routed to multiple locations including non-trusted agents
Solution Approach 1:
Different priority levels are assigned to different agents based on their security requirements. Trusted agents operate at higher priority levels while non-trusted agents operate at lower priority levels, creating local quality differences in access rights that allow overlapping address ranges while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the priority parameter of agents rather than restricting address ranges. By modifying the priority parameter assignment, the system allows flexible address range overlapping while ensuring that secured data routed to higher priority trusted agents is protected from lower priority non-trusted agents.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple comparators are enabled simultaneously to handle overlapping address ranges, then routing versatility is improved, but harmful factors increase because malicious software can exploit overlapping ranges to steal secured data
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by disabling lower priority comparators when higher priority agents are active. This preemptive measure prevents malicious software from exploiting overlapping address ranges to intercept secured data, while still allowing versatile routing when priority conflicts do not exist.
Solution Approach 2:
Priority levels serve as an intermediary mechanism between the address comparison function and the data routing function. This intermediary layer filters out unauthorized access attempts by non-trusted agents, allowing the system to maintain routing versatility while blocking harmful data theft attempts.
Data Source
AI summary
A prioritized address decoder has been disclosed. One embodiment of the prioritized address decoder includes a first comparator to compare a destination device address of data with a first address range associated with a first device and a second comparator coupled to the first comparator to compare the destination device address with a second address range associated with a second device, wherein the data is sent to the second device in response to a first output of the first comparator and a second output of the second comparator.