Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to hardware for security check elision in speculative execution are described. In one embodiment, a hardware processor includes a decoder to decode an instruction into a decoded instruction, a speculation manager circuit to: detect a security check field in the instruction, determine a security check policy, to be enforced for potentially mis-speculated execution, from a plurality of security check policies based on the security check field, perform one or more associated checks of the security check policy on the instruction to determine whether the instruction is potentially mis-speculated, schedule the instruction for execution when the instruction is not deemed safe according to the one or more associated checks, and elide the instruction when the instruction is deemed safe according to the one or more associated checks, and an execution unit to execute the instruction that is scheduled for execution.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that associates a key domain of a plurality of key domains with a customer boot image, receives the customer boot image from the customer, and verifies the integrity of the customer boot image that is to be securely installed at memory locations determined from an untrusted privileged entity (e.g., a virtual machine manager).

Abstract: Enforcing memory operand types using protection keys is generally described herein. A processor system to provide sandbox execution support for protection key rights attacks includes a processor core to execute a task associated with an untrusted application and execute the task using a designated page of a memory; and a memory management unit to designate the page of the memory to support execution of the untrusted application.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to encoded inline capabilities. In one example, a system includes a trusted execution environment (TEE) to partition an address space within a memory into a plurality of compartments each associated with code to execute a function, the TEE further to assign a message object in a heap to each compartment, receive a request from a first compartment to send a message block to a specified destination compartment, respond to the request by authenticating the request, generating a corresponding encoded capability, conveying the encoded capability to the destination compartment, and scheduling the destination compartment to respond to the request, and subsequently, respond to a check capability request from the destination compartment by checking the encoded capability and, when the check passes, providing a memory address to access the message block, and, otherwise, generating a fault, wherein each compartment is isolated from other compartments.

Abstract: A memory controller is to store a unique tag at the mid-point address within each of allocated memory portions. In addition to the tag data, additional metadata may be stored at the mid-point address of the memory allocation. For each memory access operation, an encoded pointer contains information indicative of a size of the memory allocation as well as its own tag data. The processor circuitry compares the tag data included in the encoded pointer with the tag data stored in the memory allocation. If the tag data included in the encoded pointer matches the tag data stored in the memory allocation, the memory operation proceeds. If the tag data included in the encoded pointer fails to match the tag data stored in the memory allocation, an error or exception is generated.

Abstract: A processor core that includes a token generator circuit is to execute a first instruction in response to initialization of a software program that requests access to protected data output by a cryptographic operation. To execute the first instruction, the processor core is to: retrieve a key that is to be used by the cryptographic operation; trigger the token generator circuit to generate an authorization token; cryptographically encode the key and the authorization token within a key handle; store the key handle in memory; and embed the authorization token within a cryptographic instruction that is to perform the cryptographic operation. The cryptographic instruction may be associated with a first logical compartment of the software program that is authorized access to the protected data.

Abstract: Techniques and computing devices for mitigating return-oriented programming (ROP) attacks are described. A hardened stack and an unhardened stack are provided. The hardened stack can include indications of return addresses while the unhardened stack can include all other memory allocations. A stack hardening instruction can be inserted before unhardened instructions (e.g., instructions that are themselves not authorized to access the hardened stack). The stack hardening instruction determines whether the unhardened instruction accessed memory outside the unhardened stack and generates a fault based on the determination. A register can be provided to include an indication of an address span of the unsafe stack. The stack hardening instruction can determine whether the unhardened instruction accessed a memory location outside the address range specified in the register and generate a fault accordingly.

Abstract: A processor core that includes a token generator circuit is to execute a first instruction in response to initialization of a software program that requests access to protected data output by a cryptographic operation. To execute the first instruction, the processor core is to: retrieve a key that is to be used by the cryptographic operation; trigger the token generator circuit to generate an authorization token; cryptographically encode the key and the authorization token within a key handle; store the key handle in memory; and embed the authorization token within a cryptographic instruction that is to perform the cryptographic operation. The cryptographic instruction may be associated with a first logical compartment of the software program that is authorized access to the protected data.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that associates a key domain of a plurality of key domains with a customer boot image, receives the customer boot image from the customer, and verifies the integrity of the customer boot image that is to be securely installed at memory locations determined from an untrusted privileged entity (e.g., a virtual machine manager).

Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein provide cryptographic computing with memory write access in the core. An example method comprises executing a first instruction of a software entity. The first instruction comprises a first operand comprising a certificate for a memory region in memory. Executing the first instruction includes computing encrypted first data based, at least in part, on a cryptographic algorithm and a first data parameter, determining whether the certificate authorizes the software entity to access the memory region of the memory, and based on determining the certificate in the first operand authorizes the software entity to access the memory region, performing a write operation to store the encrypted first data in the memory region. More specific embodiments include performing the write operation without performing a preceding read operation on the memory region, which may be called a write for ownership.

Abstract: Processor trace systems and methods are described. For example, one embodiment comprises executing instrumented code by a compiler, the instrumented code including at least one call to un-instrumented code. The compiler can determine the at least one call to un-instrumented code is a next call to be executed. A resume tracing instruction can be inserted into the instrumented code prior to the at least one call to the un-instrumented code. The resume tracing instruction can be executed to selectively add processor tracing to the at least one call to the un-instrumented code, and the at least one call to the un-instrumented code can be executed.

Abstract: Apparatuses for computing are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus may include one or more processors, a memory, and a compiler to be operated by the one or more processors to compile a computer program. The compiler may include one or more analyzers to parse and analyze source code of the computer program that generates pointers or de-references pointers. The compiler may also include a code generator coupled to the one or more analyzers to generate executable instructions for the source code of the computer program including insertion of additional encryption or decryption executable instructions into the computer program, based at least in part on a result of the analysis, to authenticate memory access operations of the source code.

Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein provide cryptographic computing with cryptographically encoded pointers in multi-tenant environments. An example method comprises executing, by a trusted runtime, first instructions to generate a first address key for a private memory region in the memory and generate a first cryptographically encoded pointer to the private memory region in the memory. Generating the first cryptographically encoded pointer includes storing first context information associated with the private memory region in first bits of the first cryptographically encoded pointer and performing a cryptographic algorithm on a slice of a first linear address of the private memory region based, at least in part, on the first address key and a first tweak, the first tweak including the first context information. The method further includes permitting a first tenant in the multi-tenant environment to access the first address key and the first cryptographically encoded pointer to the private memory region.

Abstract: A processor comprises a first register to store an encoded pointer to a memory location. First context information is stored in first bits of the encoded pointer and a slice of a linear address of the memory location is stored in second bits of the encoded pointer. The processor also includes circuitry to execute a memory access instruction to obtain a physical address of the memory location, access encrypted data at the memory location, derive a first tweak based at least in part on the encoded pointer, and generate a keystream based on the first tweak and a key. The circuitry is to further execute the memory access instruction to store state information associated with memory access instruction in a first buffer, and to decrypt the encrypted data based on the keystream. The keystream is to be generated at least partly in parallel with accessing the encrypted data.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a system for address mapping and translation protection. In one embodiment, processing circuitry may include a virtual machine manager (VMM) to control specific guest linear address (GLA) translations. Control may be implemented in a performance sensitive and secure manner, and may be capable of improving performance for critical linear address page walks over legacy operation by removing some or all of the cost of page walking extended page tables (EPTs) for critical mappings. Alone or in combination with the above, certain portions of a page table structure may be selectively made immutable by a VMM or early boot process using a sub-page policy (SPP). For example, SPP may enable non-volatile kernel and/or user space code and data virtual-to-physical memory mappings to be made immutable (e.g., non-writable) while allowing for modifications to non-protected portions of the OS paging structures and particularly the user space.

Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein provide cryptographic computing with cryptographically encoded pointers in multi-tenant environments. An example method comprises executing, by a trusted runtime, first instructions to generate a first address key for a private memory region in the memory and generate a first cryptographically encoded pointer to the private memory region in the memory. Generating the first cryptographically encoded pointer includes storing first context information associated with the private memory region in first bits of the first cryptographically encoded pointer and performing a cryptographic algorithm on a slice of a first linear address of the private memory region based, at least in part, on the first address key and a first tweak, the first tweak including the first context information. The method further includes permitting a first tenant in the multi-tenant environment to access the first address key and the first cryptographically encoded pointer to the private memory region.

Abstract: Technologies for execute only transactional memory include a computing device with a processor and a memory. The processor includes an instruction translation lookaside buffer (iTLB) and a data translation lookaside buffer (dTLB). In response to a page miss, the processor determines whether a page physical address is within an execute only transactional (XOT) range of the memory. If within the XOT range, the processor may populate the iTLB with the page physical address and prevent the dTLB from being populated with the page physical address. In response to an asynchronous change of control flow such as an interrupt, the processor determines whether a last iTLB translation is within the XOT range. If within the XOT range, the processor clears or otherwise secures the processor register state. The processor ensures that an XOT range starts execution at an authorized entry point. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods associated microprocessor segment registers are disclosed herein. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to providing an auxiliary segment register(s) and/or auxiliary segment descriptor table(s), and various ways for their use, for example, providing new instructions for their access, or remapping existing processor resources. A machine might provide isolated execution regions and/or protected memory by associating or exclusively reserving some or all of the auxiliary segment register(s)/table(s) with a specific task, program, instruction sequence, etc. In some embodiments, such as in Internet of Things (IoT) or wearable devices, auxiliary resources may be employed to isolate mutually-distrustful code regions to facilitate engaging unknown devices. Other embodiments are also described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Processor trace systems and methods are described. For example, one embodiment comprises executing instrumented code by a compiler, the instrumented code including at least one call to un-instrumented code. The compiler can determine the at least one call to un-instrumented code is a next call to be executed. A resume tracing instruction can be inserted into the instrumented code prior to the at least one call to the un-instrumented code. The resume tracing instruction can be executed to selectively add processor tracing to the at least one call to the un-instrumented code, and the at least one call to the un-instrumented code can be executed.

Abstract: A processor comprising a first register to store a wrapping key, a second register to store a pointer to a handle stored in a memory coupled to the processor, the handle comprising a cryptographic key encrypted using the wrapping key, and a core to execute a decryption instruction. The core is to, responsive to the decryption instruction, identify, in the decryption instruction, a pointer to ciphertext stored in the memory, retrieve the ciphertext and the handle from the memory, decrypt the cryptographic key of the handle based on the wrapping key, and decrypt the ciphertext based on the decrypted cryptographic key.