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?