Kernel transitioning in a protected kernel environment

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

• providing, by a hypervisor, a virtual machine that includes a first kernel;
• allocating a first portion of memory for the first kernel and a second portion of memory for a second kernel;
• executing the first kernel that is stored in the first portion of memory;
• disabling, by the hypervisor, access privileges corresponding to the second portion of memory;
• and
• transitioning from executing the first kernel to executing the second kernel, the transitioning comprising:
• clearing, by the hypervisor, at least some of the first portion of memory;
• enabling, by the hypervisor, access privileges corresponding to the second portion of the memory;
• and
• after the enabling, executing the second kernel on the virtual machine.

A system comprising:

• a non-transitory machine readable medium that includes a first portion of memory allocated for a first kernel and a second portion of memory allocated for a second kernel;
• and
• one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
• providing, by a hypervisor, a virtual machine;
• executing the first kernel on the virtual machine;
• disabling, by the hypervisor, access privileges corresponding to the second portion of memory;
• and
• transitioning from executing the first kernel to executing the second kernel, the transitioning comprising:
• clearing, by the hypervisor, at least some of the first portion of memory;
• enabling, by the hypervisor, access privileges corresponding to the second portion of the memory;
• and
• after the enabling, executing the second kernel on the virtual machine.