Описание тега kernel-mode

Kernel mode, also referred to as system mode, is one of the two distinct modes of operation of the CPU, in which core operating system components, including device drivers, execute.

All code that runs in kernel mode shares a single virtual address space. This means that a kernel-mode driver is not isolated from other drivers and the operating system itself. If a kernel-mode driver accidentally writes to the wrong virtual address, data that belongs to the operating system or another driver could be compromised. If a kernel-mode driver crashes, the entire operating system crashes.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff554836%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
http://www.linfo.org/kernel_mode.html