Hardware Memory Protection

Discussions center on processor features like memory protection keys (MPK), tagging, ASLR, CHERI capabilities, and MMU-based protections for preventing memory corruption, disclosure bugs, and unauthorized access.

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Keywords

RAM MS CPU XABORT ARM keys.html UNIX TSX JPEG wp.pdf memory protection kernel address arm prevent processors x86 hardware protect

Sample Comments

saagarjha • Nov 11, 2020 • View on HN

Memory protection is still a thing ;)

caf • May 4, 2016 • View on HN

Isn't intel's new memory protection keys feature intended to allow exactly this sort of thing?

saagarjha • Jun 17, 2019 • View on HN

Do their processors support memory protection?

unluckier • Oct 10, 2016 • View on HN

No mention of ASLR. Helping to prevent memory corruption bugs apparently isn't on their radar?

yvdriess • Oct 21, 2025 • View on HN

If ARM's memory tagging is a guide, not much for the general developer. You will be able to run with address sanitizers enabled at a much lower overhead. Perhaps, use some hardened allocators or library variants that rely on the extension.

jwilk • Nov 25, 2019 • View on HN

I guess it's a protection against kernel memory disclosure bugs.

exDM69 • Jun 4, 2013 • View on HN

No, this is a hardware memory protection scheme implemented in the memory management unit. There's no encryption or other processing going on.

rbanffy • Jan 5, 2018 • View on HN

Sadly, no. No memory protection, you see.

BenjiWiebe • Dec 11, 2024 • View on HN

Doesn't it take memory protection hardware to trap on a memory read?

rayiner • Jan 21, 2018 • View on HN

What does “x86 memory protection” mean? What promises does the hardware make to the software?