Google shows off KataOS, a secure operating system written in Rust

[RV_]

This does look interesting and more secure. Linux is also advocating for Rust as a more secure programming language.

Excerpt:

"Google has unveiled KataOS, an early exploration into a new secure operating system for embedded systems on open-source RISC-V chips.  

Google's KataOS is written "almost entirely in Rust", the programming language that's been adopted by the Android Open Source Project and the Linux kernel project. 

"KataOS is also implemented almost entirely in Rust, which provides a strong starting point for software security, since it eliminates entire classes of bugs, such as off-by-one errors and buffer overflows," explains Google's open-source team, which is building intelligent ambient machine-learning (AmbiML) systems. 

The project's GitHub page emphasizes that KataOS and its umbrella project name, Sparrow, "are definitely a work in progress". Sparrow is a reference implementation of KataOS. 

"Our team in Google Research has set out to solve this problem by building a provably secure platform that's optimized for embedded devices that run ML applications. This is an ongoing project with plenty left to do, but we're excited to share some early details and invite others to collaborate on the platform so we can all build intelligent ambient systems that have security built-in by default," Google said.

The OS is not for desktops or smartphones but the Internet of Things, possibly for smart homes.

The OS is being built with the new sel4 "security-first" microkernel. It's open source but is not based on Linux and has no relation to Google's Fuchsia OS. 

Data61, the digital arm of Australia's research agency CSIRO, announced sel4 in 2020 as a mathematically proven correct, bug-free kernel. The Linux Foundation hosts the selL4 Foundation.

"As the foundation for this new operating system, we chose seL4 as the microkernel because it puts security front and center; it is mathematically proven secure, with guaranteed confidentiality, integrity, and availability," Google explains. 

"Through the seL4 CAmkES framework, we're also able to provide statically-defined and analyzable system components. KataOS provides a verifiably-secure platform that protects the user's privacy because it is logically impossible for applications to breach the kernel's hardware security protections and the system components are verifiably secure."

While it is an early-stage project, the GitHub repository features Rust-based sel4-sys Crate add-ons, which provide seL4 syscall application programming interfaces. It's also got a rootserver written in Rust – for dynamic system-wide memory management – and customizations to seL4 to reclaim memory used by the rootserver. It also enabled debugging."

Source:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-shows-off-kataos-a-secure-operating-system-written-in-rust/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid={%24external_id}&mid={%24MESSAGE_ID}&cid={%24contact_id} 

 

[Dutch_12078]

Interesting! I wonder if it will ever evolve into server and desktop implementations.

[RV_]

Beats me but Torvalds is using it in Linux rewrites. So yes if it is more secure we likely will. How and when I will post when I see it.

Excerpt:

"You may recall that Linus Torvalds recently added support for Rust in the Linux kernel. One of the big reasons for adding Rust was to put an end to Linux code memory problems.

It can't come soon enough. Recently, five serious Linux Wi-Fi security holes were uncovered. 

What did they all have in common? Go ahead, guess? Yes, each and every one was caused by a memory problem because of poorly written C code."

Source:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-dodges-serious-wi-fi-security-exploits/?ftag=TREc64629f&bhid={%24external_id}&mid={%24MESSAGE_ID}&cid={%24contact_id}

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by RV_

[Dutch_12078]

4 minutes ago, RV_ said:

Beats me but Torvalds is using it in Linux rewrites. So yes if it is more secure we likely will. How and when I will post when I see it.

Excerpt:

"You may recall that Linus Torvalds recently added support for Rust in the Linux kernel. One of the big reasons for adding Rust was to put an end to Linux code memory problems."

Source:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-dodges-serious-wi-fi-security-exploits/?ftag=TREc64629f&bhid={%24external_id}&mid={%24MESSAGE_ID}&cid={%24contact_id}

 

Patiently waiting...

[RV_]

18 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Patiently waiting...

Dutch do you code in Rust? I don't code.

[Dutch_12078]

1 hour ago, RV_ said:

Dutch do you code in Rust? I don't code.

I've been playing around with it a bit, but I've got a long way to go before being productive with it.

[RV_]

Awesome, keep us tagged in on real world developments. I liked the idea that it helps prevent some coding errors.

[Dutch_12078]

54 minutes ago, RV_ said:

Awesome, keep us tagged in on real world developments. I liked the idea that it helps prevent some coding errors.

As I get more proficient with it...