Apple inc. (20250094567). Consistent Speculation of Pointer Authentication

Consistent Speculation of Pointer Authentication

Organization Name

apple inc.

Inventor(s)

John D Pape of Cedar Park TX (US)

Deepankar Duggal of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Christopher M Tsay of Austin TX (US)

Andrew H Lin of Mountain View CA (US)

Corey C Stappenbeck of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Consistent Speculation of Pointer Authentication

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20250094567 titled 'Consistent Speculation of Pointer Authentication

Original Abstract Submitted

in an embodiment, a processor includes hardware circuitry which may be used to authenticate instruction operands. the processor may execute instructions that perform operand authentication both speculatively and non-speculatively. during speculative execution of such instructions, the processor may execute authentication such that no differences in observable state of the processor, relative to authentication result, are detectable via a side channel. during speculative execution, a result of authentication may be deferred until speculative execution of the instruction, and additional instructions, may be completed. upon resolution of a condition that indicates acceptance of the speculative execution, a speculative execution result may cause a processor exception and stalling of execution at the instruction to be performed.