METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING PROTECTED WALK BASED SHADOW PAGING

PWSP method includes storing a multiple level page tables structure in second stage page tables (S2). The method includes: when an S2 entry is marked with a writable attribute: (i) permitting an operating system (OS) to write to S1, (ii) blocking an MMU from reading the S1 for translation, and (iii) in response, verifying the S 1 for translation and changing the marking of the S2 entry to read-only attribute, enabling the MMU to subsequently read the S1. The method includes: when the S2 entry is marked with the read-only attribute: (i) permitting the OS to read the S1 for translating from a virtual address to an intermediate physical address, (ii) blocking the OS from writing to the S1, and (iii) in response to blocking the OS, updating the S1 and changing the marking of the S2 entry to the device memory attribute, enabling the OS to write to the S1.