Abstract

An apparatus, method and program product are provided for securing a computer system. A digital signature of an application is checked, which is loaded into a memory of the computer system configured to contain memory pages. In response to finding a valid digital signature, memory pages containing instructions of the application are set as executable and memory pages other than those containing instructions of the application are set as non-executable. Instructions in executable memory pages are executed. Instructions in non-executable memory pages are prevented from being executed. A page fault is generated in response to an attempt to execute an instruction in a non-executable memory page. In response to the page fault, an exception list of a sequence of instructions is checked for the attempted instruction in the non-executable memory page and if on the list, the page is set to executable and the attempted instruction executed.

Document Type

Patent

Status

Issued

Issue Date

12-31-2013

Patent Number

US 8621238 B1 [8,621,238]

CPC Classification

G06F21/51

Application number

13/190520

Assignees

Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)

Filing Date

7-26-2011

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