Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: Instructions and logic provide advanced paging capabilities for secure enclave page caches. Embodiments include multiple hardware threads or processing cores, a cache to store secure data for a shared page address allocated to a secure enclave accessible by the hardware threads. A decode stage decodes a first instruction specifying said shared page address as an operand, and execution units mark an entry corresponding to an enclave page cache mapping for the shared page address to block creation of a new translation for either of said first or second hardware threads to access the shared page. A second instruction is decoded for execution, the second instruction specifying said secure enclave as an operand, and execution units record hardware threads currently accessing secure data in the enclave page cache corresponding to the secure enclave, and decrement the recorded number of hardware threads when any of the hardware threads exits the secure enclave.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for temporarily allowing access to a lower privilege level from a higher privilege level.

Abstract: A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a processor includes at least one core to execute instructions and a system management monitor to receive a platform query request from an external system, obtain status information regarding a configuration of one or more privileged resources of the processor, and report the status information to the external system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Instructions and logic provide advanced paging capabilities for secure enclave page caches. Embodiments include multiple hardware threads or processing cores, a cache to store secure data for a shared page address allocated to a secure enclave accessible by the hardware threads. A decode stage decodes a first instruction specifying said shared page address as an operand, and execution units mark an entry corresponding to an enclave page cache mapping for the shared page address to block creation of a new translation for either of said first or second hardware threads to access the shared page. A second instruction is decoded for execution, the second instruction specifying said secure enclave as an operand, and execution units record hardware threads currently accessing secure data in the enclave page cache corresponding to the secure enclave, and decrement the recorded number of hardware threads when any of the hardware threads exits the secure enclave.

Abstract: Various embodiments of this disclosure may describe method, apparatus and system for reducing system latency caused by switching memory page permission views between programs while still protecting critical regions of the memory from attacks of malwares. Other embodiments may be disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a processor includes a binary translation (BT) container having code to generate a binary translation of a first code segment and to store the binary translation in a translation cache, a host entity logic to manage the BT container and to identify the first code segment, and protection logic to isolate the BT container from a software stack. In this way, the BT container is configured to be transparent to the software stack. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A processor and method are described for managing different privilege levels associated with different types of program code, including binary translation program code. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises entering into one of a plurality of privilege modes responsive to detecting the execution of a corresponding one of a plurality of different types of program code including native executable program code, translated executable program code, and binary translation program code. In one embodiment, the binary translation program code includes sub-components each of which are associated with a different privilege level for improved security.

Abstract: Embodiments of an invention for protecting supervisor mode information are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage location, instruction hardware, execution hardware, and control logic. The storage location is to store an indicator to enable supervisor mode information protection. The instruction hardware is to receive an instruction to access supervisor mode information. The execution hardware is to execute the instruction. The control logic is to prevent execution of the instruction if supervisor mode information protection is enabled and a current privilege level is less privileged than a supervisor mode.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a processor includes at least one core to execute instructions and a system management monitor to receive a platform query request from an external system, obtain status information regarding a configuration of one or more privileged resources of the processor, and report the status information to the external system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.

Abstract: Instructions and logic provide base register swap status verification functionality. Embodiments include a processor having a first model specific register (MSR) to store a first base address corresponding to a segment for a first execution context and a second MSR to store a second base address corresponding to a segment for a second context. A third register stores a base register swap status field corresponding to the segment of the first and second contexts. A decode unit decodes a swap instruction and execution logic executes an exchange of the first MSR value and the second MSR value responsive to the swap instruction. The execution logic determines if said exchange of the first MSR value and the second MSR value completed successfully, and changes a value of the base register swap status field responsive to a determination that said exchange completed successfully.