Hasty Briefsbeta

Tracking Trust with Rust in the Kernel

4 days ago
  • #Rust
  • #Security
  • #Linux Kernel
  • Benno Lossin proposes an API for Rust in the Linux kernel to handle untrusted data from user space securely.
  • The API introduces a new type, `Untrusted`, to mark data from untrusted sources, preventing accidental use without validation.
  • `Untrusted` is a transparent structure with no runtime overhead, ensuring efficient memory usage.
  • The API includes utility functions and support for common data structures like slices and vectors of untrusted values.
  • A `Validate` trait is introduced to encapsulate logic for validating user-space data before use.
  • Greg Kroah-Hartman suggests adding an example of a driver using `Untrusted`, particularly for `ioctl()` functions.
  • The proposed API aims to enforce validation of user-space data systematically, reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities.
  • Discussion on the patch set is expected at the upcoming Kangrejos conference.