Trusted Execution and Access Protection for Embedded Memory

摘要

A semiconductor device includes, in various embodiments, a memory and a processor, with the processor configured to perform a permission check prior to execution of a memory-access instruction. The permission check comprises evaluating a permission attribute of the memory-access instruction and a permission attribute of a memory location to be accessed. The memory-access instruction is denied unless the permission attribute of the memory-access instruction is compatible with the permission attribute of the memory location to be accessed. In various embodiments, permission attributes are obtained by the processor from a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory module. In various embodiments, the permission attributes are determined based on a source address of the memory-access instruction and an address of the memory location to be accessed. In various embodiments, the OTP memory module stores permission settings that are based on the identity of suppliers for various portions of code stored in the memory.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
retrieving an instruction from a first memory address; determining a trust attribute of the instruction; identifying a second memory address to be accessed by a processor executing the instruction; determining a protection attribute of the second memory address, based at least upon the second memory address; determining whether the instruction is to be executed, based at least upon
the protection attribute of the second memory address, andthe trust attribute of the instruction.