XD bit (Execute Disable Bit)

E637386

executable space protection mechanism hardware-based security feature processor feature

XD bit (Execute Disable Bit) is a hardware-based security feature in modern processors that helps prevent certain types of malicious code execution by marking specific areas of memory as non-executable.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Disambiguation Statements Elicitation Referenced by

All labels observed (7)

Label	Occurrences
Data Execution Prevention	2
Execute Disable Bit	2
DEP (Data Execution Prevention)	1
Intel Execute Disable Bit	1
Intel XD bit (Execute Disable Bit)	1
Windows Data Execution Prevention	1
XD bit (Execute Disable Bit) canonical	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T7032637 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: XD bit (Execute Disable Bit)
Context triple: [Bonnell, supports, XD bit (Execute Disable Bit)]

A. Intel VT-x
Intel VT-x is Intel's hardware-assisted virtualization technology that enables more efficient and secure running of multiple operating systems on x86 processors.
B. VMX
VMX is a vector processing extension to the PowerPC architecture designed to accelerate multimedia, signal processing, and other parallelizable computations.
C. Intel VT-x or AMD-V
Intel VT-x or AMD-V are hardware-assisted virtualization technologies built into modern Intel and AMD processors that enable efficient and secure running of virtual machines.
D. Trusted Execution Environment
A Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) is a secure area of a main processor that runs isolated code and protects sensitive data from the rest of the system, even if the operating system is compromised.
E. Intel Trusted Execution Technology
Intel Trusted Execution Technology is a hardware-based security feature that helps ensure a trusted, measured launch and execution environment for software on Intel platforms.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: XD bit (Execute Disable Bit)
Target entity description: XD bit (Execute Disable Bit) is a hardware-based security feature in modern processors that helps prevent certain types of malicious code execution by marking specific areas of memory as non-executable.

A. Intel VT-x
Intel VT-x is Intel's hardware-assisted virtualization technology that enables more efficient and secure running of multiple operating systems on x86 processors.
B. VMX
VMX is a vector processing extension to the PowerPC architecture designed to accelerate multimedia, signal processing, and other parallelizable computations.
C. Intel VT-x or AMD-V
Intel VT-x or AMD-V are hardware-assisted virtualization technologies built into modern Intel and AMD processors that enable efficient and secure running of virtual machines.
D. Trusted Execution Environment
A Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) is a secure area of a main processor that runs isolated code and protects sensitive data from the rest of the system, even if the operating system is compromised.
E. Intel Trusted Execution Technology
Intel Trusted Execution Technology is a hardware-based security feature that helps ensure a trusted, measured launch and execution environment for software on Intel platforms.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	executable space protection mechanism ⓘ hardware-based security feature ⓘ processor feature ⓘ
abbreviationOf	Execute Disable Bit ⓘ
alsoKnownAs	EVP ⓘ Enhanced Virus Protection ⓘ NX bit ⓘ No-Execute bit ⓘ
architecture	x86 ⓘ x86-64 ⓘ linked to: AMD64 architecture
bitLocation	page table entry ⓘ
category	CPU security feature ⓘ memory protection mechanism ⓘ
configurableVia	BIOS settings ⓘ UEFI firmware settings ⓘ
controls	executability of memory pages ⓘ
effect	causes page fault on disallowed code execution ⓘ prevents execution from data-only memory regions ⓘ
fullName	Execute Disable Bit ⓘ linked to: XD bit (Execute Disable Bit)
helpsMitigate	code injection attacks ⓘ heap-based buffer overflows ⓘ stack-based buffer overflows ⓘ
implementedAs	page table attribute bit ⓘ
introducedAround	early 2000s ⓘ
introducedBy	Intel ⓘ linked to: Intel Corporation
operatesOn	memory pages ⓘ virtual memory ⓘ
purpose	enforce non-executable memory pages ⓘ mitigate buffer overflow attacks ⓘ prevent execution of code from certain memory regions ⓘ support Data Execution Prevention ⓘ
relatedTo	DEP ⓘ Data Execution Prevention ⓘ linked to: XD bit (Execute Disable Bit) W^X policy ⓘ linked to: W^X write XOR execute policy ⓘ
requires	page-level granularity ⓘ
requiresSupportFrom	operating system ⓘ processor ⓘ
securityProperty	enforces non-executable heap ⓘ enforces non-executable stack ⓘ
standardizedIn	PAE paging ⓘ Physical Address Extension ⓘ
usedBy	AMD processors ⓘ Intel processors ⓘ Linux NX support ⓘ Windows Data Execution Prevention ⓘ linked to: XD bit (Execute Disable Bit) macOS memory protection ⓘ some ARM processors ⓘ x86-64 processors ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Bonnell → supports → XD bit (Execute Disable Bit) ⓘ

Address Space Layout Randomization → isComplementedBy → Data Execution Prevention ⓘ

subject linked to: Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR)