US 12,242,598 B2
Function pointer protection
Michael Tsirkin, Westford, MA (US)
Assigned to Red Hat, Inc., Raleigh, NC (US)
Filed by Red Hat, Inc., Raleigh, NC (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/489,545.
Application 18/489,545 is a continuation of application No. 17/185,461, filed on Feb. 25, 2021, granted, now 11,816,206.
Prior Publication US 2024/0045947 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 21/54 (2013.01); G06F 9/54 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 21/54 (2013.01) [G06F 9/547 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
load a first library for executing an application having a function with a callback,
access, via the first library, a second library to execute the function,
supply the second library with a list of safe callback values, wherein the list of safe callback values include instruction pointer addresses that are safe to jump to when executing the function of the application,
prevent the list of safe callback values from being modified,
validate the callback against the list of safe callback values to determine a status of the callback by at least comparing an instruction pointer address of the callback with the instruction pointer addresses of the list of safe callback values,
responsive to determining the status of the callback is safe, execute the callback, and
responsive to determining the status of the callback is unsafe, abort the callback.