diff --git a/executer/include/uprotocol.h b/executer/include/uprotocol.h
index e0506cb0..c8f43877 100644
--- a/executer/include/uprotocol.h
+++ b/executer/include/uprotocol.h
@@ -111,7 +111,10 @@ typedef unsigned long __cpu_set_unit;
 #define MPOL_NO_BSS               0x04
 #define MPOL_SHM_PREMAP           0x08
 
+#define PLD_MAGIC 0xcafecafe44332211UL
+
 struct program_load_desc {
+	unsigned long magic;
 	int num_sections;
 	int cpu;
 	int pid;
diff --git a/executer/user/mcexec.c b/executer/user/mcexec.c
index dbf44fd7..e4a04048 100644
--- a/executer/user/mcexec.c
+++ b/executer/user/mcexec.c
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ struct program_load_desc *load_elf(FILE *fp, char **interp_pathp)
 	              + sizeof(struct program_image_section) * nhdrs);
 	memset(desc, '\0', sizeof(struct program_load_desc)
 	                   + sizeof(struct program_image_section) * nhdrs);
+	desc->magic = PLD_MAGIC;
 	fseek(fp, hdr.e_phoff, SEEK_SET);
 	j = 0;
 	desc->num_sections = nhdrs;
diff --git a/kernel/host.c b/kernel/host.c
index 3b876661..3d59669c 100644
--- a/kernel/host.c
+++ b/kernel/host.c
@@ -441,6 +441,13 @@ static int process_msg_prepare_process(unsigned long rphys)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
+	if (p->magic != PLD_MAGIC) {
+		kprintf("%s: broken mcexec program_load_desc\n", __func__);
+		ihk_mc_unmap_virtual(p, npages);
+		ihk_mc_unmap_memory(NULL, phys, sz);
+		return -EFAULT;
+	}
+
 	n = p->num_sections;
 	if (n > 16 || 0 >= n) {
 		kprintf("%s: ERROR: ELF sections other than 1 to 16 ??\n",
diff --git a/kernel/include/syscall.h b/kernel/include/syscall.h
index 6f4822b9..4fd5682f 100644
--- a/kernel/include/syscall.h
+++ b/kernel/include/syscall.h
@@ -174,7 +174,10 @@ typedef unsigned long __cpu_set_unit;
 #define MPOL_NO_BSS               0x04
 #define MPOL_SHM_PREMAP           0x08
 
+#define PLD_MAGIC 0xcafecafe44332211UL
+
 struct program_load_desc {
+	unsigned long magic;
 	int num_sections;
 	int cpu;
 	int pid;