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[LINK] seL4, secure operating system kernel is being open-sourced

3 [deleted] 24 June 2014 11:02PM

seL4 is the world's first (and only?) operating-system kernel with an end-to-end proof of implementation correctness and security enforcement. In 34 days it is going open source:

http://sel4.systems/

Now if only we could get a provably-correct implementation of the Amoeba operating system kernel on top of this, it'd be the perfect base for a boxed AI software stack.

Comments (9)

Comment author: lukeprog 24 June 2014 11:19:14PM 9 points [-]

For more on seL4, see my interview with Gerwin Klein.

Comment author: [deleted] 25 June 2014 08:54:58AM 2 points [-]

When did you start talking to formal verification researchers?

Because, you know, I totally have not wanted to do a PhD under any of these guys, or anything like that...

Comment author: lukeprog 25 June 2014 03:28:52PM 5 points [-]

When did you start talking to formal verification researchers?

Many months ago. Subscribe to the MIRI blog! :)

Comment author: [deleted] 24 June 2014 11:30:15PM 0 points [-]

Awesome, thanks!

Comment author: Metus 25 June 2014 12:16:06AM 7 points [-]

Keep in mind, these things are only proven to work as specified. There is no guarantee that the specification itself is secure. Or that there is no side channel attack possible. Or other stuff.

Comment author: [deleted] 25 June 2014 12:50:20AM 3 points [-]

Correct. But what it achieves is a massive compression in the size of the attack surface. In as much as you trust the proof system, you know that the code matches the specification, so the only bugs which can exist are those in the specification itself.

Comment author: shminux 24 June 2014 11:25:51PM 5 points [-]

an end-to-end proof of implementation correctness

Time to take bets on when the first security hole gets discovered.

Comment author: somervta 25 June 2014 05:06:19AM 3 points [-]

You offering?

Comment author: David_Gerard 25 June 2014 07:22:34AM 3 points [-]

Took a few years for OpenBSD, and that relied on mere human software engineering skill.