David Weston, Microsoft vice president responsible for Windows operating system security, shared insights on the development of Windows protection mechanisms during his presentation at the BlueHat IL 2023 conference. Among other topics, he mentioned progress in utilizing the Rust language to enhance the security of the Windows kernel. Furthermore, it was stated that Rust code may be added to the Windows 11 kernel within the next few months, or even weeks.
Among the main reasons for adopting Rust are the use of tools for safe memory handling and efforts to reduce coding errors. The initial goal is stated to be replacing some internal C++ data types with equivalent types provided in Rust. Currently, about 36,000 lines of Rust code have been prepared for inclusion in the kernel. Testing the system with the new code showed no negative impact on performance in the PCMark 10 suite (office applications test), and in some microbenchmarks, the new code proved even faster.
The first area of Rust implementation was the DWriteCore code, which ensures font parsing. Two developers were involved in the project, spending six months on the rewrite. The new Rust implementation improved text glyph rendering performance by 5-15%. The second application of Rust was in the implementation of the REGION data type in the Win32k GDI (Graphics Driver Interface). The rewritten GDI interface components in Rust have successfully passed all tests for use in Windows, and the new code is expected to be included by default in upcoming Windows 11 Insider test builds. Other achievements related to Rust include converting individual system calls in Windows to this language.
Izvor: opennet.ru
