mirror of
https://github.com/bspeice/speice.io
synced 2024-11-05 01:28:09 -05:00
Review the draft
This commit is contained in:
parent
c47a53d034
commit
0f3e8f9d28
@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ it's correct. There's ongoing work to [formalize](https://plv.mpi-sws.org/rustbe
|
||||
the rules and *prove* that Rust is safe, but for our purposes it's a reasonable assumption.
|
||||
|
||||
Until it isn't. It's totally possible for "safe" Rust programs
|
||||
(under contrived circumstances) to encounter memory corruption.
|
||||
It's even possible for these programs to
|
||||
["segfault"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmentation_fault)
|
||||
when using an unmodified compiler:
|
||||
(under contrived circumstances) to encounter memory corruption and trigger a
|
||||
["segfault"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmentation_fault).
|
||||
|
||||
To prove it, this demonstration was run using an unmodified compiler:
|
||||
|
||||
<script id="asciicast-ENIpRYpdDazCkppanf3LSCetX" src="https://asciinema.org/a/ENIpRYpdDazCkppanf3LSCetX.js" async></script>
|
||||
|
||||
@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ when using an unmodified compiler:
|
||||
|
||||
[Wat indeed.](https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/wat)
|
||||
|
||||
There are two tricks used to pull this off. First, I'm making
|
||||
There are two tricks needed to pull this off. First, I'm making
|
||||
use of a special environment variable in Linux called
|
||||
[`LD_PRELOAD`](https://blog.fpmurphy.com/2012/09/all-about-ld_preload.html).
|
||||
Matt Godbolt goes into [way more detail](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOfucXtyEsU)
|
||||
@ -73,24 +73,23 @@ Because this implementation of `malloc` is intentionally broken,
|
||||
every program run using this library will crash. And I mean *every*
|
||||
program; if you use dynamic memory, you're going down.
|
||||
|
||||
So how is it possible to run the Rust compiler in this environment?
|
||||
`LD_PRELOAD` applies to all programs, so the compiler should also
|
||||
encounter memory corruption and crash, right? The answer is that `sudo`
|
||||
deletes environment variables like `LD_PRELOAD` and
|
||||
`LD_LIBRARY_PATH` when running commands. While it is technically possible
|
||||
to crash `sudo` in the same way using our evil `malloc` implementation,
|
||||
the default policy is to delete these variables because of security concerns.
|
||||
So how is it possible to even run the compiler in this environment?
|
||||
Shouldn't `LD_PRELOAD` cause `rustc` to encounter memory corruption
|
||||
and crash too? The answer is that `sudo` deletes environment variables
|
||||
like `LD_PRELOAD` and `LD_LIBRARY_PATH` when running commands.
|
||||
It's technically possible to crash `sudo` in the same way using
|
||||
our evil `malloc` implementation, but the default security policy
|
||||
deletes those variables.
|
||||
|
||||
Finally, why does Rust 1.31 work, and 1.32 fail? The answer is in the
|
||||
release notes:
|
||||
Finally, why does the program run when compiled with Rust 1.31, and not 1.32?
|
||||
The answer is in the release notes:
|
||||
[`jemalloc` is removed by default](https://blog.rust-lang.org/2019/01/17/Rust-1.32.0.html#jemalloc-is-removed-by-default).
|
||||
In Rust 1.28 through 1.31, programs were statically compiled against
|
||||
[jemalloc](http://jemalloc.net/) by default; our evil `malloc` implementation
|
||||
never gets invoked because the program goes straight to the operating
|
||||
system to request memory. However, it's still possible to trigger segfaults
|
||||
in Rust programs from 1.28 - 1.31 by using the
|
||||
In Rust 1.28 through 1.31, programs are statically compiled against
|
||||
[jemalloc](http://jemalloc.net/) by default; our dynamically loaded
|
||||
evil `malloc` implementation never gets an opportunity to run. However, it's still
|
||||
possible to trigger segfaults in Rust programs from 1.28 - 1.31 by using the
|
||||
[`System`](https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/alloc/struct.System.html)
|
||||
global allocator. Rust programs prior to 1.28 aren't subject to this
|
||||
global allocator. Rust programs prior to 1.28 aren't affected by this
|
||||
`LD_PRELOAD` trick.
|
||||
|
||||
# So what?
|
||||
@ -98,13 +97,13 @@ global allocator. Rust programs prior to 1.28 aren't subject to this
|
||||
I do want to clarify: the code demonstrated here isn't a
|
||||
security issue, and doesn't call into question Rust's definition of "safe."
|
||||
The code demonstrated here crashes because the memory allocator is lying to it.
|
||||
Even in mission critical systems, there are a lot of concerns beyond allocators; the
|
||||
And even in mission critical systems, safety concerns go way beyond allocators; the
|
||||
[F-35 Joint Strike Fighter coding standards](http://www.stroustrup.com/JSF-AV-rules.pdf)
|
||||
give memory allocation about 10 sentences total.
|
||||
|
||||
But this example does highlight an assumption of Rust's memory model
|
||||
that I haven't seen discussed much: **safe Rust is safe if, and only if,
|
||||
the allocator it relies on is "correct"**. And because writing a non-trivial allocator is
|
||||
the allocator it relies on is "correct"**. And because writing an allocator is
|
||||
[fundamentally unsafe](https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/alloc/trait.GlobalAlloc.html#unsafety),
|
||||
safe Rust will always rely on unsafe Rust somewhere.
|
||||
|
||||
|
Loading…
Reference in New Issue
Block a user