Patent · US Active

Shadow stack violation enforcement at module granularity

US11379579B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
0References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateMar 24, 2020
Grant dateJul 5, 2022
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 6, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/033
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Enforcing shadow stack violations at module granularity, rather than at thread or process granularity. An exception is processed during execution of a thread based on code of an application binary, which is enabled for shadow stack enforcement, that calls an external module. The exception results from a mismatch between a return address popped from the thread's call stack and a return address popped from the thread's shadow stack. Processing the exception includes determining that the exception resulted from execution of an instruction in the external module, and determining whether or not the external module is enabled for shadow stack enforcement. Based at least on these determinations, execution of the thread is terminated when the external module is enabled for shadow stack enforcement, or the thread is permitted to continue executing when the external module is not enabled for shadow stack enforcement.

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