Deconstructing Hardware Architectures for Security

Researchers have recently proposed novel hardware architectures for enhancing system security. The proposed architectures address security threats such as buffer overflows, format string bugs, and information disclosure. The main advantage of hardware support is increased visibility into system state, low overheads for security checks, and, in some cases, compatibility with legacy binaries. Nevertheless, hardware support is not a panacea for system security. We review two architectures for preventing memory corruption and two for preventing information leaks. We identify significant vulnerabilities and shortcomings in these designs. We also discuss solutions and mitigation strategies.