International Business Machines Corporation

Matthew Michael Garcia Pardini

Michael P Mullen

Olaf Knute Hendrickson

Christian Jacobi

Scott Brady Compton

Jeffrey Richard Suarez

Gregory William Alexander

Jonathan T Hsieh

Bodo Hoppe

Zoltan T Hidvegi

Vicky Vezinaw

Sri Hari Kolusu

Dominik Steenken

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: storing records in an input data buffer, where each of the records include a key which is appended to payload data in the respective record. Moreover, for each of the records: shearing the key associated with the record from the payload data, normalizing the sheared key, and storing the normalized sheared key in a first target area of memory. A determination is made as to whether a size of the payload data in the record is outside a predetermine range, and in response to determining that the size of the payload data in the record is outside the predetermine range, the payload data is stored in a second target area of memory. A data locator is also appended to the normalized sheared key in the first target area of memory to form a sheared record.

Selectively shearing data when manipulating data during record processing

Aspects of the invention include systems and methods for to detecting security vulnerabilities using modeled attribute propagation. A non-limited example of a computer-implemented method includes generating a model of a device under test, the model comprising a data path similar to the device under test and an attribute network. The method further includes detecting protected data that is introduced into the model and marking the protected data with an attribute. An end point of the marked protected data is detected along the data path. In response to the end point being indicative of a vulnerability, an alert is issued.

Identifying security vulnerabilities using modeled attribute propagation

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: processing records by, for each of the records: shearing the key associated with the record from the payload data, normalizing the sheared key, and storing the normalized sheared key in a first target area of memory. A determination is made whether a size of the payload data is outside a first predetermined range. In response to determining that the size of the payload data is outside the first predetermined range, the payload data is stored in a second target area of memory, and a data locator is appended to the normalized sheared key. Furthermore, in response to determining that a storage capacity of the memory is outside a second predetermined range, some of the payload data is transferred to external physical storage. Moreover, an external list is integrated with each of the data locators that correspond to the transferred payload data.

Selectively evicting data from internal memory during record processing

A computer-implemented method for advancing speculative execution in microarchitectures is disclosed. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a processor, a test scenario including a first load instruction from a first memory location flagged with a delay notification and a speculative memory access instruction from a second memory following the first load instruction. The method executes, by the processor, the first load instruction from the first memory location and delays a return of data from the first memory location for a number of processor cycles. The method executes, by the processor, the speculative storage access instruction from the second memory location during the delay in returning the data from the first memory location.

Targeted very long delay for increasing speculative execution progression

A computer-implemented method for detecting vulnerabilities in microarchitectures. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes creating a simulation for execution on a model of a microarchitecture, the simulation including a set of instructions and a placeholder for holding a piece of secret data. The computer-implemented method executes the simulation a first time on the model of the microarchitecture with a first piece of secret data stored in the placeholder and stores a first output of the first executed simulation. The computer-implemented method executes the simulation a second time on the model of the microarchitecture with a second piece of secret data stored in the placeholder and stores a second output of the second executed simulation. The computer-implemented method compares the first output with the second output and provides an indication of a microarchitecture vulnerability when there is a difference between the first output and the second output.

Identifying microarchitectural security vulnerabilities using simulation comparison with modified secret data

A computer-implemented method includes generating a plurality of test cases to test exploitation of speculative execution in a design of a computer processor, where the plurality of test cases include a first test case. Generating the first test case includes identifying a branch responsive to an attempted access to secure data and, responsive to the branch, marking each memory address of each memory access dependent on the attempted access to the secure data. The computer-implemented method further includes executing the first test case. Executing the first test case includes detecting an attempt to access a memory address that has been marked and, responsive to the attempt to access the memory address that has been marked, alerting of a security violation.

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Middlesex, MA, United States of America

Matthew Michael Garcia Pardini