Processor Encrypted Binary Code Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Malware can rapidly spread across computer networks, causing havoc by exploiting vulnerabilities in existing systems, as traditional approaches to encryption and execution often require overhead and store decrypted code, which can propagate and infect other systems.
Innovation Solution
An information handling system loads encrypted binary code using a unique key specific to each processor, transforming it into instruction control signals without decryption, preventing malware from executing on other systems with different keys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional encryption approaches are used to protect code, then code security is improved, but execution overhead increases and decrypted code may be stored and propagated to other systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the code execution process into two distinct parts: encrypted binary code storage and real-time transformation. The encrypted binary code is stored in a read-only portion of memory, while the transformation to instruction control signals occurs dynamically through a specialized decoder circuit. This segmentation eliminates the need to store decrypted code in writable memory, preventing propagation while maintaining execution efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
A specialized instruction decoder acts as an intermediary between the encrypted binary code and the processor execution units. This decoder circuit directly transforms encrypted binary code into instruction control signals without requiring full decryption or storing of the original code. The intermediary converter enables secure execution by processing only the encrypted form, eliminating both security risks and execution overhead associated with traditional decryption approaches.
2Speed
If decrypted code is stored in memory for execution, then execution speed is improved, but the risk of malware propagation to other systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory system is segmented into read-only storage for encrypted binary code and separate execution units that process transformed instructions. By keeping the original encrypted code in a protected read-only portion and generating instruction control signals through real-time transformation, the system eliminates the need to store decrypted code in writable memory, thereby preventing malware propagation while maintaining execution speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The instruction decoder serves as an intermediary that converts encrypted binary code into executable instruction control signals without storing the decrypted version. This intermediary transformation process enables fast execution by working directly with encrypted code, eliminating the security vulnerability of storing decrypted code in memory while maintaining high execution speed through efficient circuit-based transformation.
3Reliability
If unique encrypted binary code is used for each processor, then malware propagation is prevented, but code complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each processor is equipped with a unique instruction decoder circuit that is locally customized to transform encrypted binary code specific to that processor. This local quality approach ensures that even if malware infects one processor, it cannot propagate to others because each processor's decoder and encrypted code are uniquely matched. The uniqueness is implemented at the circuit level, making each processor instance secure while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized design patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter changes in the form of unique processor identifiers that are embedded into the encrypted binary code and matched by corresponding decoder circuits. By varying the encryption parameters based on processor-specific identifiers, the system achieves unique encrypted code for each processor without requiring completely different code structures. This parameter-based differentiation prevents malware propagation while simplifying manufacturing through systematic variation of existing design templates.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided in which an information handling system loads a set of encrypted binary code into a processor that has been encrypted based upon a unique key of the processor. The processor includes an instruction decoder that transforms the set of encrypted binary code into a set of instruction control signals using the unique key. In turn, the processor executes a set of instructions based on the set of instruction control signals.