A method for accessing shared memory, the method includes loading a private context ID into a private context ID register, where the first private context ID enables a thread to access a private memory region only accessible by the thread. The method further includes receiving, from the thread, a first request to access a shared memory region, loading a shared context ID into a shared context register, permitting, by a memory management unit (MMU), the thread to access the shared memory region using the shared context ID, and receiving, from the thread, a second request to disable access to the shared memory region. The method further includes removing, in response to the second request, the shared context ID from the shared context ID register, where after removing the shared context ID from the shared context ID register the thread is no longer able to access the shared memory region.