Apple Inc.
Marking valid return targets

Abstract:

Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable mediums for preventing return oriented programming (ROP) attacks. A compiler may insert landing pads adjacent to valid return targets in an instruction sequence. When a return instruction is executed, the processor may treat the return as suspicious if the target of the return instruction does not have an adjacent landing pad. Additionally, each landing pad may be encoded with a color, and a colored launch pad may be inserted into the instruction stream next to each return instruction. When a return instruction is executed, the processor may determine if the target of the return has a landing pad with the same color as the launch pad of the return instruction. Return-target pairs with color mismatches may be treated as suspicious and the offending process may be killed.