US Patent 7337291 Software memory access control

Software memory access control is provided by associating instruction areas with memory areas such that instruction areas are not permitted to access memory areas with which they are not associated. Checks may be inserted in the instruction areas to ensure that data provided by a memory group is provided by an associated memory area. Additionally, control flow integrity for the instruction areas may be provided by embedding identifying bit patterns within computed control flow instructions contained in the instruction groups. In this way, control flow of the instruction areas may be provided, thus preventing diversion of control flow and minimizing required checks.