Securing microprocessors against information leakage and physical tampering

A system comprising:

• machine storage for storing a compiler that is configured to perform operations comprising:
• generating, based on a computer program, instructions that are part of code that is executable;
• encoding blocks of the instructions by applying different types of mutations to different blocks of the instructions to produce coded blocks;
• in at least some of the coded blocks, replacing branch instructions with control information that predicts outcomes of the branch instructions;
• and
• associating control instructions with the coded blocks, the control instructions being usable to enable decoding the coded blocks;
• a decoder to produce a decoded output by using the control instructions to decode corresponding coded blocks and using the control information to determine how a first coded block encoded using a first type of mutation relates to a second coded block encoded using a second type of mutation that is different from the first type of mutation;
• and
• an execution unit to execute the decoded output to perform a function associated with the instructions.

A method comprising:

• generating, based on a computer program, instructions that are part of code that is executable on a microprocessor;
• determining mutations for the instructions;
• encoding blocks of the instructions by applying different types of the mutations to different blocks of the instructions to produce coded blocks;
• in at least some of the coded blocks, replacing branch instructions with control information that predicts outcomes of the branch instructions;
• encountering a coded block in a pipeline of the microprocessor;
• and
• causing the coded block to be decoded based on a mutation associated with the coded block and control information associated with the coded block.

A system comprising:

• machine storage for storing a compiler that is executable to perform operations comprising:
• generating, based on a computer program, instructions that are part of code that is executable on a microprocessor;
• determining mutations for the instructions;
• encoding blocks of the instructions by applying different types of the mutations to different blocks of the instructions to produce coded blocks;
• and
• in at least some of the coded blocks, replacing branch instructions with control information that predicts outcomes of the branch instructions;
• and
• a processor pipeline to perform operations comprising:
• encountering a coded block in the pipeline;
• and
• causing the coded block to be decoded based on a mutation associated with the coded block and control information associated with the coded block.

A method comprising:

• in a first microprocessor system:
• generating, based on a computer program, instructions that are part of code that is executable on a first microprocessor;
• determining mutations for the instructions;
• encoding blocks of the instructions by applying different types of the mutations to different blocks of the instructions to produce coded blocks;
• in at least some of the coded blocks, replacing branch instructions with control information that predicts outcomes of the branch instructions;
• and
• executing a first part of the code on the first microprocessor, wherein executing the first part of the code comprises using information about mutations and control information for the first part of the code to enable decoding instructions in the first part of the code;
• and
• in a second microprocessor system:
• executing a second part of the code on a second microprocessor that is different from the first microprocessor.

A system comprising:

• a first microprocessor system to perform operations comprising:
• generating, based on a computer program, instructions that are part of code that is executable on a first microprocessor;
• determining mutations for the instructions;
• encoding blocks of the instructions by applying different types of the mutations to different blocks of the instructions to produce coded blocks;
• in at least some of the coded blocks, replacing branch instructions with control information that predicts outcomes of the branch instructions;
• and
• executing a first part of the code on the first microprocessor, wherein executing the first part of the code comprises using information about mutations and control information for the first part of the code to enable decoding instructions in the first part of the code;
• and
• a second microprocessor system to perform operations comprising:
• executing a second part of the code on a second microprocessor that is different from the first microprocessor.