Can a CPU process instructions as data? [closed]

Question

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, visit the help center.

Closed 8 years ago.

While preparing for an exam, I came across this doubt. Does a CPU process instructions as data?

Answer 1

The short answer is yes. There's a Wikipedia entry on it. The gist of it is, if you have the address of the instructions you would like to read, then you can load those into data registers, test the instructions, and even write back new instructions. Many modern operating systems will probably not allow you write the instructions back however. It is a safety precaution to prevent malicious code from modifying your system, or trust applications.

Answer 2

Depends on the computer:

• In von Neumann architecture, yes.

• In Harvard architecture, no.