System, Apparatus And Method For Secure Monotonic Counter Operations In A Processor

At least one computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed enable a system to:

• responsive to receipt of a request from a requester to update a monotonic counter of a processor, determine whether the processor is in a first security mode;
• when it is determined that the processor is in the first security mode, access, via logic of the processor, the monotonic counter using an identifier associated with the request;
• increment, via the logic, a value of the monotonic counter;
• and
• output, via the logic, the value of the monotonic counter to the requester

A system comprising:

• a processor comprising:
• at least one core to execute instructions;
• at least one cache memory;
• a non-volatile random access memory to store a table of monotonic counters,
• wherein the monotonic counters include an identifier field, a value field and a status field;
• and
• a logic, responsive to a request by a first application, to atomically update a first monotonic counter of the table of monotonic counters and provide an updated value of the first monotonic counter to the first application, wherein the first application is to allow secure content associated with the first monotonic counter to be output via a display when the updated value of the first monotonic counter is less than a threshold;
• a storage to store the secure content;
• and
• the display to output the secure content.