William Blair

Title: Innovations by William Blair in Machine Code Security

Introduction

William Blair is an accomplished inventor based in Washington, DC, known for his significant contributions to the field of machine code security. With a total of 3 patents, he has developed innovative solutions that enhance the reliability of computer systems executing untrusted code.

Latest Patents

One of his latest patents is titled "Static validation of machine code for security properties." This invention introduces novel graph analytics that detect security violations in machine code. The method analytically generates a control flow graph from misaligned sequences of instructions that may partially overlap in a memory buffer. The first analytic phase involves discovering entry points into the machine code, which serve as starting points for control flow analysis. In the second phase, a directed control flow graph (CFG) is generated. The third phase implements interchangeable and combinable security policies that can be customized for specific processors and their instruction set architectures (ISA). This approach significantly increases the reliability of computers executing untrusted code, such as open-source libraries or tenant logic in multitenant environments like public clouds.

Another notable patent is the "Method for control flow isolation with protection keys and indirect branch tracking." This innovative control flow integrity (CFI) technique is based on code generation methods that provide data protection for access control of subroutines invoked across module boundaries. The approach is counterintuitive, as it uses access control to data to manage access control to the code. An instrumentation computer generates a prologue at the beginning of a subroutine, which includes instructions that verify memory address accessibility and limit access to the code.

Career Highlights

William Blair is currently employed at Oracle International Corporation, where he continues to push the boundaries of machine code security. His work has been instrumental in developing technologies that enhance the safety and reliability of software systems.

Collaborations

He collaborates with Matthias Neugschwandtner, contributing to the advancement of innovative security solutions in the tech industry.

Conclusion

William Blair's contributions to machine code security through his patents demonstrate his commitment to enhancing the reliability of computer systems. His innovative approaches are paving the way for safer computing environments.