Codasip, the  RISC-V Custom Compute specialist, has announced the first commercial implementation of CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions which was developed at the University of Cambridge as the result of research aimed at revisiting fundamental design choices in hardware and software to improve system security.

The technology has been proven in experimental processors and will now for the first time be available in a commercial offering, enabling secure-by-design products. Codasip’s commercial implementation will enable companies to take preventive security measures without having to wait for their vendors’ delivered patches.

Approximsgely 70% of OS and browser vulnerabilities documented in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) programme in the last two decades are attributed to software memory errors, and reason for the lack of commercial solutions to address this challenge is the complexity of the problem.

Advanced memory protection has only been achievable through advanced hardware modification or expensive and impactful software modifications. But to be viable in real products, any suggested solution must have minimal impact on power, performance, and area.

 

Building on its unique Custom Compute approach, Codasip has been able to effectively address this challenge.

“CHERI extends conventional hardware ISAs with new architectural features to enable fine-grained memory protection and highly scalable software compartmentalization,” says Cambridge University aprofessor Robert Watson, “the CHERI memory-protection features allow historically memory-unsafe programming languages such as C and C++ to be adapted to provide strong, compatible, and efficient protection against many currently widely exploited vulnerabilities.”

Using Codasip Studio, Codasip is adding built-in fine-grained memory protection to its recently launched 700 processor family by extending the RISC-V ISA with CHERI-based custom instructions. To enable the use of these instructions, Codasip is also delivering the software environment to take advantage of CHERI technology, bringing a full software development flow to add memory protection.

Because CHERI technology can be applied selectively to critical functions, it is possible to enhance the security of existing products with a small effort, often through a simple code recompilation.

The huge pool of existing C/C++ software can therefore still be leveraged in more secure systems.Learn more about Codasip’s implementation of CHERI Technology.

Codasip will be participating at the RISC-V Summit in Santa Clara, California, on November 7-8. The company will showcase its solutions and present a keynote and several technical topics. Learn more or book a meeting.