System, method and computer program product for on-the-fly patching of executable code
US7472384B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 2003 |
| Grant date | Dec 30, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 19, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F8/656
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
On-the-fly patching of executable code includes placing a block of modified instructions in memory, identifying a block of code to be patched, storing instructions to be patched from the block of code to be patched in a storage location, change the instructions to be patched to mark instructions, and adding a jump to the block of modified instructions in the block of code. Prior to the placing and the identifying steps, a write flag for a page in memory where the block of code to be patched is located is set to allow writes, and interrupts are masked. The instructions are replaced in reverse order. The mark instructions are the same length, in bytes, as the instructions to be patched. The modified instructions include a resolver to determine a number of instructions of the block of code to be patched that had already been executed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.