Write-protected storage medium, write-protected apparatus, and write-protected environment

An emulation apparatus for virtually providing an execution environment of a target program in a memory coupled to a microprocessor, the emulation apparatus comprising:

• a translator that translates an instruction output from the target program to an instruction executable in an execution environment of the emulation apparatus, using the microprocessor;
• a first memory map, in a memory region for use by the target program, that is write-protected in a first memory space based on the execution environment of the emulation apparatus, using the microprocessor;
• a second memory map that is write-protected in a second memory space having a smaller memory length than the first memory space based on at least one of the execution environment of the target program and content of the instruction from the target program, using the microprocessor;
• and
• a performing unit comprising at least one processor that performs memory protection in the second memory space smaller than the first memory space in a memory protection mechanism provided by the execution environment of the emulation program by rewriting a first write instruction to the first memory map output from the translator to a second write instruction to the second memory map when the first write instruction causes a write protection violation to the first memory map, using the microprocessor,
• wherein the first memory space is a page of a predetermined range of memory addresses and the second memory space is a smaller range of memory addresses within the page, and since the first memory map is subjected to write protection in units of pages, a write protection mechanism works even in writing in data addresses on the same page that are not included in a sequence of target instructions, thereby causing a write protection violation,
• the performing unit rewrites, when a write destination on the second memory map is write-protected, the first write instruction to a write instruction proceeding to an exception handling at the time of a write violation, and
• the performing unit protects the memory and suppresses occurrence of memory protection violation by rewriting an address of a store instruction causing a write violation to an address of the second memory map from an address of the first memory map.

An emulation method for virtually providing an execution environment of a target program, the emulation method comprising:

• translating an instruction output from the target program to an instruction executable in an execution environment of an emulation program;
• generating, in a memory region for use by the target program, a first memory map which is write-protected in a first memory space based on the execution environment of the emulation program and a second memory map which is write-protected in a second memory space having a smaller memory length than the first memory space based on at least one of the execution environment of the target program and content of the instruction from the target program;
• and
• performing memory protection in the second memory space smaller than the first memory space in a memory protection mechanism provided by the execution environment of the emulation program by rewriting a first write instruction to the first memory map output at the translating to a second write instruction to the second memory map when the first write instruction causes a write protection violation to the first memory map,
• wherein the first memory space is a page of a predetermined range of memory addresses and the second memory space is a smaller range of memory addresses within the page, and since the first memory map is subjected to write protection in units of pages, a write protection mechanism works even in writing in data addresses on the same page that are not included in a sequence of target instructions, thereby causing a write protection violation,
• the performing includes, when a write destination on the second memory map is write-protected, rewriting the first write instruction to a write instruction proceeding to an exception handling at the time of a write violation, and
• the performing includes protecting the memory and suppressing occurrence of memory protection violation by rewriting an address of a store instruction causing a write violation to an address of the second memory map from an address of the first memory map.