Abstract: Processors, methods, and systems for user-level interprocessor interrupts are described. In an embodiment, a processing system includes a memory and a processing core. The memory is to store an interrupt control data structure associated with a first application being executed by the processing system. The processing core includes an instruction decoder to decode a first instruction, invoked by a second application, to send an interprocessor interrupt to the first application; and, in response to the decoded instruction, is to determine that an identifier of the interprocessor interrupt matches a notification interrupt vector associated with the first application; set, in the interrupt control data structure, a pending interrupt flag corresponding to an identifier of the interprocessor interrupt; and invoke an interrupt handler for the interprocessor interrupt identified by the interrupt control data structure.

Abstract: Processors, methods, and systems for user-level interprocessor interrupts are described. In an embodiment, a processing system includes a memory and a processing core. The memory is to store an interrupt control data structure associated with a first application being executed by the processing system. The processing core includes an instruction decoder to decode a first instruction, invoked by a second application, to send an interprocessor interrupt to the first application; and, in response to the decoded instruction, is to determine that an identifier of the interprocessor interrupt matches a notification interrupt vector associated with the first application; set, in the interrupt control data structure, a pending interrupt flag corresponding to an identifier of the interprocessor interrupt; and invoke an interrupt handler for the interprocessor interrupt identified by the interrupt control data structure.

Abstract: Embodiments of instructions are detailed herein including one or more of 1) a branch fence instruction, prefix, or variants (BFENCE); 2) a predictor fence instruction, prefix, or variants (PFENCE); 3) an exception fence instruction, prefix, or variants (EFENCE); 4) an address computation fence instruction, prefix, or variants (AFENCE); 5) a register fence instruction, prefix, or variants (RFENCE); and, additionally, modes that apply the above semantics to some or all ordinary instructions.

Abstract: A method and system of host to guest (H2G) notification are disclosed. H2G is provided via an instruction. The instruction is a send user inter-processor interrupt instruction. An exemplary processor includes decoder circuitry to decode a single instruction and execute the decoded single instruction according to the at least the opcode to cause a host to guest notification from a virtual device running in a host machine on the first physical processor to a virtual device driver running on a virtual processor in a guest machine on a second physical processor.

Abstract: Embodiments of exitless guest to host (G2H) notification are described. In some embodiments, G2H is provided via an instruction. An exemplary processor includes decoder circuitry to decode a single instruction, the single instruction to include a field for an opcode; and execution processing resources to execute the decoded single instruction according to the at least the opcode to cause an exitless guest to host notification from a virtual processor to a physical or virtual processor.

Abstract: Embodiments of instructions are detailed herein including one or more of 1) a branch fence instruction, prefix, or variants (BFENCE); 2) a predictor fence instruction, prefix, or variants (PFENCE); 3) an exception fence instruction, prefix, or variants (EFENCE); 4) an address computation fence instruction, prefix, or variants (AFENCE); 5) a register fence instruction, prefix, or variants (RFENCE); and, additionally, modes that apply the above semantics to some or all ordinary instructions.

Abstract: Embodiments of instructions are detailed herein including one or more of 1) a branch fence instruction, prefix, or variants (BFENCE); 2) a predictor fence instruction, prefix, or variants (PFENCE); 3) an exception fence instruction, prefix, or variants (EFENCE); 4) an address computation fence instruction, prefix, or variants (AFENCE); 5) a register fence instruction, prefix, or variants (RFENCE); and, additionally, modes that apply the above semantics to some or all ordinary instructions.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention related to compacted context state management are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes instruction hardware and state management logic. The instruction hardware is to receive a first save instruction and a second save instruction. The state management logic is to, in response to the first save instruction, save context state in an un-compacted format in a first save area. The state management logic is also to, in response to the second save instruction, save a compaction mask and context state in a compacted format in a second save area and set a compacted-save indicator in the second save area. The state management logic is also to, in response to a single restore instruction, determine, based on the compacted-save indicator, whether to restore context from the un-compacted format in the first save area or from the compacted format in the second save area.

Abstract: Processors, methods, and systems for user-level interprocessor interrupts are described. In an embodiment, a processing system includes a memory and a processing core. The memory is to store an interrupt control data structure associated with a first application being executed by the processing system. The processing core includes an instruction decoder to decode a first instruction, invoked by a second application, to send an interprocessor interrupt to the first application; and, in response to the decoded instruction, is to determine that an identifier of the interprocessor interrupt matches a notification interrupt vector associated with the first application; set, in the interrupt control data structure, a pending interrupt flag corresponding to an identifier of the interprocessor interrupt; and invoke an interrupt handler for the interprocessor interrupt identified by the interrupt control data structure.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes decode circuitry and execution circuitry coupled to the decode circuitry. The decode circuitry is to decode a single instruction to mitigate vulnerability to a speculative execution attack. The execution circuitry is to be hardened in response to the single instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a hybrid key generator and memory protection hardware. The hybrid key generator is to generate a hybrid key based on a public key and multiple process identifiers. Each of the process identifiers corresponds to one or more memory spaces in a memory. The memory protection hardware is to use the first hybrid key to protect to the memory spaces.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes decode circuitry and execution circuitry coupled to the decode circuitry. The decode circuitry is to decode a register hardening instruction to mitigate vulnerability to a speculative execution attack. The execution circuitry is to be hardened in response to the register hardening instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a decode circuitry and store circuitry coupled to the decode circuitry. The decode circuitry is to decode a store hardening instruction to mitigate vulnerability to a speculative execution attack. The store circuitry is to be hardened in response to the store hardening instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes decode circuitry and branch circuitry coupled to the decode circuitry. The decode circuitry is to decode a branch hardening instruction to mitigate vulnerability to a speculative execution attack. The branch circuitry is to be hardened in response to the branch hardening instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes speculation vulnerability detection hardware and execution hardware. The speculation vulnerability detection hardware is to detect vulnerability to a speculative execution attack and, in connection with a detection of vulnerability to a speculative execution attack, to provide an indication that data from a first operation is tainted. The execution hardware is to perform a second operation using the data if the second operation is to be performed non-speculatively and to prevent performance of the second operation if the second operation is to be performed speculatively and the data is tainted.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes decode circuitry and load circuitry coupled to the decode circuitry. The decode circuitry is to decode a load hardening instruction to mitigate vulnerability to a speculative execution attack. The load circuitry is to be hardened in response to the load hardening instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments for dynamically mitigating speculation vulnerabilities are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes speculation vulnerability mitigation hardware and speculation vulnerability detection hardware. The speculation vulnerability mitigation hardware is to implement one or more of a plurality of speculation vulnerability mitigation mechanisms. The speculation vulnerability detection hardware to detect vulnerability to a speculative execution attack and to provide to software an indication of speculative execution attack vulnerability.

Abstract: Embodiments of instructions are detailed herein including one or more of 1) a branch fence instruction, prefix, or variants (BFENCE); 2) a predictor fence instruction, prefix, or variants (PFENCE); 3) an exception fence instruction, prefix, or variants (EFENCE); 4) an address computation fence instruction, prefix, or variants (AFENCE); 5) a register fence instruction, prefix, or variants (RFENCE); and, additionally, modes that apply the above semantics to some or all ordinary instructions.

Abstract: A processing device includes a conflict resolution logic circuit to initiate a tracking phase to track translation look aside buffer (TLB) mappings to an enclave memory cache (EPC) page of a secure enclave. The conflict resolution logic circuit is further to execute a tracking instruction as part of the tracking phase, wherein the tracking instruction takes any page in the secure enclave as an argument parameter to the tracking instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention related to compacted context state management are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes instruction hardware and state management logic. The instruction hardware is to receive a first save instruction and a second save instruction. The state management logic is to, in response to the first save instruction, save context state in an un-compacted format in a first save area. The state management logic is also to, in response to the second save instruction, save a compaction mask and context state in a compacted format in a second save area and set a compacted-save indicator in the second save area. The state management logic is also to, in response to a single restore instruction, determine, based on the compacted-save indicator, whether to restore context from the un-compacted format in the first save area or from the compacted format in the second save area.