Patent · US Active

Technique for detecting and thwarting row-hammer attacks

US11354408B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 15, 2019
Grant dateJun 7, 2022
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2040

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/034
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A memory controller for a (DRAM) memory processes an (access) command for a target row in the memory, increments a count value for each victim row associated with the target row, and issues a (dummy activate) command for a victim row whose count value reaches a specified threshold. By tracking victim rows instead of target rows, the memory controller can thwart both single-sided and double-sided row-hammer attacks. The memory controller maintains the victim-row addresses and corresponding command counts in a TCAM memory to detect rows that may be prone to row-hammer attacks. If so, then the memory controller issues dummy activate commands to the corresponding memory rows to thwart such row-hammer attacks.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.