Hardware apparatuses and methods to switch shadow stack pointers
US10394556B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 2015 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 4, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/74
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses relating to switching of a shadow stack pointer are described. In one embodiment, a hardware processor includes a hardware decode unit to decode an instruction, and a hardware execution unit to execute the instruction to: pop a token for a thread from a shadow stack, wherein the token includes a shadow stack pointer for the thread with at least one least significant bit (LSB) of the shadow stack pointer overwritten with a bit value of an operating mode of the hardware processor for the thread, remove the bit value in the at least one LSB from the token to generate the shadow stack pointer, and set a current shadow stack pointer to the shadow stack pointer from the token when the operating mode from the token matches a current operating mode of the hardware processor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.