Using virtual table protections to prevent the exploitation of object corruption vulnerabilities
US8683583B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 2010 |
| Grant date | Mar 25, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 15, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2143
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The subject disclosure is directed towards preventing the exploitation by malicious code of object state corruption vulnerabilities, such as use-after-free vulnerabilities. An object class is configured with a secret cookie in a virtual function table of the object, e.g., inserted at compile time. An instrumentation check inserted in the program code evaluates the secret cookie to determine whether the object state has been corrupted before object access (e.g., a call to one of the object's methods) is allowed. If corrupted, access to the object is prevented by the instrumentation check. Another instrumentation check may be used to determine whether the object's virtual table pointer points to a location outside of the module that contains the legitimate virtual function table; if so, object access is prevented.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.