Correlation-Based Testing to Validate Behavioral Phase-of-Execution Inference

A system for minimizing uncertainty when behaviorally determining a phase-of-execution, comprising:

• a correlation validator configured to:
• receive, from a behavioral sensor, a sequence of behavior indicators derived from processor-level events detectable at an architectural level of a processing unit during execution of code;
• access phase correlation data including profiles of stored execution phases and a phase determination together with an associated confidence value generated by a phase inference engine;
• and
• apply a plurality of tests responsive to the phase determination or the confidence value and to adjust the confidence value or the phase determination based on results of the plurality of tests to reduce uncertainty.

A method of predicting a subsequent phase-of-execution of code in a processing unit, comprising:

• inferring, from a sequence of behavior indicators derived from processor-level execution events detectable at an architectural level of a processing unit during execution of the code, a current phase-of-execution;
• predicting, based on the current phase-of-execution and the sequence of behavior indicators, a subsequent phase-of-execution together with an initial confidence value regarding the subsequent phase-of-execution;
• applying, by a correlation validator, at least one of a plurality of tests that utilize at least a portion of the sequence of behavior indicators or data derived therefrom;
• and
• responsive to results of the applied tests, adjusting the confidence value from the initial confidence value to an updated confidence value so as to reduce uncertainty in the predicting of the subsequent phase-of-execution.