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Is ASLR more, same or less secure for a process running on an i686-pae kernel or for a 32bit process running on an amd64 kernel?

Bill Paxtonn
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Address Space Layout Randomization is just as ineffective for a 32-bit process regardless if it is running in 32-bit compatibility mode on a 64-bit kernel, or on a 32-bit kernel. Both ways the user process has only a limited amount of address bits to randomize, reducing the number of possible positions to place things. PAE also does not affect ASLR, since it is just a mechanism to increase the amount of addressable physical memory.

KASLR (Kernel ASLR) is a different matter, it will benefit from running in Long Mode (64-bit) on x86-64.

Johan Myréen
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