Mitigating security vulnerabilities with memory allocation markers in cryptographic computing systems

One or more machine-readable media including instructions stored therein that, when executed, cause a processor to:

• generate a first encoded pointer for a first memory allocation for an application, wherein size metadata and first memory address data associated with the first memory allocation are stored in the first encoded pointer;
• determine a first memory address of a first marker region in the first memory allocation;
• obtain current data from the first marker region at the first memory address;
• compare the current data to a reference marker stored separately from the first memory allocation;
• and
• determine that the first memory allocation is in a first state in response to a determination that the current data corresponds to the reference marker.

A method comprising:

• generating, by a processor, a first encoded pointer for a first memory allocation for an application, wherein size metadata and first memory address data associated with the first memory allocation are stored in the first encoded pointer;
• determining a first memory address of a first marker region in the first memory allocation;
• obtaining current data from the first marker region at the first memory address;
• comparing the current data to a reference marker stored separately from the first memory allocation;
• and
• determining that the first memory allocation is in a first state in response to a determination that the current data corresponds to the reference marker.